Sydney garbo Eloni Vunakece to spearhead the Roosters pack against Manly at Allianz Stadium
SYDNEY garbo Eloni Vunakece has been plucked from obscurity to spearhead the Roosters pack against Manly at Allianz Stadium this Saturday night.
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SYDNEY garbo Eloni Vunakece has been plucked from obscurity to spearhead the Roosters pack against Manly at Allianz Stadium this Saturday night.
An employee with Leichhardt Council, 28-year-old Vunakece will make his NRL debut after three years toiling with the Wyong Roos NSW Cup side.
Incredibly, the workaholic father-of-two, whose wife is expecting their third child, is also being tipped to complete his garbage runs this week before facing the Sea Eagles on Saturday night. And when he runs onto Alianz Stadium ... well, the debutant will be easy to spot.
Sporting a giant afro, Vunakece will come off the Roosters’ interchange bench alongside good friend Kane Evans, with the pair having played together for the Fijian national side.
Apart from being a poster boy for persistence, the new Tricolours prop can also proudly add his name to rugby league’s Garbo Hall of Fame — alongside the likes of Craig Coleman, David “Cement” Gillespie and Rabbitohs cult favourite Matty King.
Indeed, prior to the 1986 Kangaroo tour, Gillespie seriously damaged one of his fingers after having it wedged between his garbage truck and a power pole.
And while Vunakece would do well to remember that this week, it’s hard to imagine anything stopping him from making his long-awaited debut.
While he was born in Sydney, and played his early football with Balmain Ryde-Eastwood, the hardworking forward has represented the Bati Boys seven times, most recently against PNG.
The Daily Telegraph understands Roosters coach Trent Robinson has been keeping a close eye on Vunakece for some time. Indeed, Saturday’s debut represents the latest chapter in a long road for the 102kg prop, whose journey includes a year with French league side Toulouse Olympique.
Vunakece then returned home to play with Wyong in 2013, and has patiently been awaiting an NRL call up ever since.
Robinson added the Sydney garbo to his training squad ahead of the 2016 season, with a host of injuries to players like Kangaroo Boyd Cordner, Kiwi Test star Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and hooker Ian Henderson now gifting him his shot.
As revealed by The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, the Roosters have officially slumped to their worst start to any first grade season since 1908.
With halfback Mitchell Pearce also sidelined, the boys from Bondi Junction have conceded a whopping 103 points in only three weeks. Having finished the 2016 regular season in top spot, the Roosters are also now on track to record the worst start of any minor premiership team in history.
Winless this season, the Roosters will start rank outsiders against the Sea Eagles, who recorded their first win against Cronulla in Monday Night Football.
Originally published as Sydney garbo Eloni Vunakece to spearhead the Roosters pack against Manly at Allianz Stadium
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