The inside story of how Cowboys signed 2023 Rookie of the Year and Broncos junior Kulikefu Finefeuiaki

Kulikefu Finefeuiaki has been crowned Cowboys’ rookie of the year but his rugby league journey was almost cut short before it had even begun. SEE ALL THE AWARD WINNERS

Kulikefu Finefeuiaki has been crowned the North Queensland Cowboys rookie of the year after a spectacular debut season in the NRL, but his rugby league journey was almost cut short before it had even started.

When the 19-year-old dynamo was in year 11, a heart condition requiring surgery derailed his time with the Brisbane Broncos.

The club discovered Kulikefu had Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which put somewhat simply is a congenital abnormality that can allow electrical impulses to bypass the atrioventricular node and cause palpitations, light-headedness or cardiac arrest.

That combined with a Covid cleanout is what Finefeuiaki said allowed him to slip through Brisbane’s grasp and into the arms of the Cowboys.

“I was at the Broncs during school and then Covid hit. The older players had to still get paid so they had to drop some of the young boys, which I understood,” Finefeuiaki said.

“Then having to get surgery on my heart, I had Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, so I’m glad the Broncs found it.

“But I’m forever grateful for the Cowboys picking me up and especially Dane Campbell.”

The Broncos may live to regret that decision after seeing what Finefeuiaki has done in 12 games of NRL, and the youngster said he was looking forward to taking on his old club for the first time after missing the round 23 clash with a concussion.

“Hopefully it’ll be a good game. Everyone gets hyped for a Queensland derby so it’ll be good,” Finefeuiaki said.

Cowboys recruitment manager Dane Campbell said that the timing of when he unearthed Finefeuiaki couldn’t have been better.

Campbell spotted Finefeuiaki while he was playing for Ipswich State High School in the Allan Langer Trophy.

“I was watching some games and saw this big, powerful kid just skittling blokes on an edge,” Campbell said.

“I found out who his agent was and made a quick enquiry, assuming he’d be locked away with a club, but as it happened to be he’d just finished up with the Broncos.

Kulikefu Finefeuiaki is the Cowboys rookie of the year. Picture: Getty Images

“The reason being he actually had a heart condition so he had to have some surgery on his heart and as a result of that he sort of wasn’t able to compete in a number of sessions at the Broncos Academy that they do, and it just happened to be the right time that phone call was made.

“As a result I went out and met with him and his school teacher Josh Bretherton at Ipswich and fortunately we were able to get him up to Townsville for a camp to have a look at him to see whether he could handle our environment and how he would perform.

“It took about two days with him in camp to realise he was something special and we offered him a deal straight away.”

Finefeuiaki said it was a special moment to be awarded rookie of the year on Wednesday night.

“It’s what I dreamed of as a little kid, I always wanted to play on that big stage,” he said.

“I was always watching the big boys like Jason (Taumalolo) out there, it’s pretty crazy that now I’m playing with him.

“I want to thank (my family) because their support was crazy. This whole year, every game I played they were messaging me saying good luck, so this one’s for them and especially mum and dad.

“My debut, at the end with my family crying proudly on TV there. I always do it for them, no matter what, and all glory to the man above.”

Kulikefu Finefeuiaki playing for Ipswich. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Finefeuiaki’s heart issues had subsided by year 12 and the Auckland-born forward was able to dominate the schoolboys competition.

Campbell said that it didn’t take long for Finefeuiaki to prove he was ready for the step up to play against men.

“There were always glimpses in the schoolboy stuff, but the moment we realised that potential meets performance was when he made his debut for the Townsville Blackhawks last year,” Campbell said.

“It was down in Ayr against Redcliffe and he stepped up and played against the Dolphins who obviously went on to play in the grand final. They were a really good solid team and he didn’t miss a beat.

“He was one of the best on ground in his debut and that moment for a then 18-year-old kid to go and play against a really senior Q Cup side and basically continue on from where he left off in the under-21s, that suggested to me that he was going to be a guy that could handle the level change easily.”

Kulikefu Finefeuiaki is tackled during round 18. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

That game was also a moment to remember for Finefeuiaki, who said the shock of playing against men for the first time was intense.

“It was pretty tough, I didn’t expect it to be like that. My first carry I think I got hit once or twice, it’s crazy and way different to under-21s, at my age especially,” Finefeuiaki said.

“You’re versing ex-NRL players and current NRL players so you get to learn a lot from them and how they play, and just adapt to the game.”

Finefeuiaki’s game has always been based around power and effort. Still in his teens, he is able to bend defensive lines and he can score and create tries with his silky skills.

But Campbell said it was the work he had done to improve his defensive movements this season that really stood out.

“That’s an area of his game that is just going to continue to get better and better. Since he’s aggressive and he moves quickly, it’s just a matter of doing it at the speed and level of the NRL,” Campbell said.

“Next year with another pre-season under his belt he will just go in leaps and bounds again.

“I think he’s in a really comfortable space up here. His parents have now moved up as well and he’s really settled and feeling good.”

Originally published as The inside story of how Cowboys signed 2023 Rookie of the Year and Broncos junior Kulikefu Finefeuiaki