KAP7 Cup finals livestream: Why water polo’s AJ Roach doesn’t play NRL like Blocker

Rugby league and the NRL are full of father and son combinations but in this family that was never going to work out.

The face might look a bit familiar but this son of a gun plays a completely different sport to his father .

There’s a very good reason this Olympian didn’t follow his famous father into the ranks of professional NRL.

Unlike Wayne and Mitchell Pearce, Matty Johns and sons Jack and Cooper and the father and son combo of Kevin and Billy Walters, this father and son duo were never destined to even play the same sport.

Aiden “AJ” Roach, the son of NRL enforcer Steve Blocker Roach, admits rugby league was never his speed despite playing it and rugby union as a teenager.

Roach and his Drummoyne Devils water polo teammates are playing in the KAP7 Sydney Cup from Thursday, with the finals of the event to be livestreamed on News Corp sites, including The Daily Telegraph, on Saturday.

AJ Roach plays his club water polo for the Drummoyne Devils.

While he is a star of water polo and already a two-time Olympian, the Gladesville-based Roach admits he showed little natural flair for the game which made his Balmain and Kangaroos prop father famous.

Roach instead found his feet, literally, in water polo, admitting he is as clumsy on land as his is comfortable in the water.

“I can’t run either. I’m really bad,’’ Roach said.

“I played league until 13 and then rugby at Riverview until 15. It just wasn’t my strong suit.’’

Winter Olympics Gold medallist Steven Bradbury with former NSW State of Origin player Steve Blocker Roach. Pic: Brett Costello

Roach is also bidding to go to a third Olympic Games in Tokyo this year.

On Monday the Australian Water Polo League was cancelled due to the lockdown of Brisbane caused by a COVID-19 outbreak.

Officials scrambled to organise an event for top player and Olympic aspirants with the Sydney Cup the result..

WATER POLO MATCHES BEING LIVESTREAMED

The Sydney Cup medal matches - four in total - on Saturday will be livestreamed back-to-back by News Corp and on its associated websites, including The Daily Telegraph.

The event will be fought out by top men’s and women’s water polo teams and players from the Australian men’s and women’s water polo squads. FULL DETAILS, GUIDE HERE

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