Karl Oloapu: The words of advice from his late father that have helped guide Bulldogs’ future star
Karl Oloapu’s path to the NRL has been planned meticulously - which is why the debut of the highly rated half has Bulldogs fans so excited.
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When the time comes for Bulldogs prodigy Karl Oloapu to make his NRL debut today, he will think of the words of his late father and the whiteboard in his bedroom.
The 18-year-old was just nine when he linked arms with his eight siblings around the hospital bed of beloved family patriarch and adored father, Tui.
In those final moments before his liver shut down, Tui spoke directly to his fourth-eldest child, Joe.
“Mum and all of my siblings were around the bed when Dad took his last breath,” Joe Oloapu said.
“His last words to me were, look after the family. I had kids of my own, but I took it upon myself to step up for Dad and help guide Karl.
“There’s a quote our late father left our whole family with which was, ’plan your work and work your plan’.”
So Joe did exactly that for Karl.
“With Karl, it’s been a goal-setting plan since he was 14,’’ Joe said.
“This hasn’t been something that has just happened.
“We‘ve sat down and gone over a whiteboard, using brainstorming sessions to help see that he could be something.
“For him to get to that (NRL) level, is for him to understand the whole process, each step, focusing year by year, but also five-years ahead.
“I tried to help him understand how far he could take it if he put his head down and got to work.
“There was a whiteboard in the garage for our gym training sessions and a whiteboard right by his bedroom door.
“We did a personal plan, a career plan and a financial plan.
“He had to hit his goals and if they weren’t big enough, they weren’t scary enough, so we weren’t putting them down.’’
Oloapu, who has risen from the Broncos academy at 13, to be rated the best junior footballer in Australia last year after being named player of the tournament at the national rugby league championships at Redcliffe, is tipped to make his NRL debut for Canterbury next weekend against St George-Illawarra.
Still just 18, Oloapu is a testament to the values derived from his tight-knit family.
So far, he is doing everything to show why the Dogs paid a stunning $500,000 transfer fee to lure the rising star out of the Broncos last January.
In an indication of his maturity, Oloapu is living alone in the inner-west of Sydney.
He shares lifts to training with his teammates and isn’t afraid to accept a lift home from head coach Cameron Ciraldo.
The Queensland under-19 emerging Maroons squad member speaks with big brother Joe every day about his mental and physical health and chats with his supportive manager Matt Adamson every other day.
“He’s a tough and resilient young man, who is acutely aware of how hard he has to work to earn his spot to play first grade,’’ Adamson said.
“That’s what I continually remind him. He’ll do it at the right time.’’
Oloapu’s character says alot about the guidance from Joe and his loving mother Sioliana.
Before finding a place to live in Sydney, Oloapu spent seven weeks living with Bulldogs pathways and development coach Craig Wilson.
“On the third night of staying with us, he bought my wife some flowers to say thank you for having him,” Wilson said.
“I’ve seen enough 18-year-old footballers to know that Karl’s values are in the right place to give him the best chance of making it.’’
Oloapu — who can play in the halves, at lock or centre — has kept his head down and focused, impressing the Canterbury coaching staff with his work-ethic, particularly his defensive focus, which on one occasion at training, even squared-up Test backrower Viliame Kikau.
He is still developing physically at 94kg.
In between training with the NRL side, Oloapu has been guiding his more senior teammates in the NSW Cup across the park and to the top of the competition ladder. They have lost only one game all season.
On the phone to Joe they discuss eating habits, training schedules and even old video of Johnathan Thurston.
“Watching games and video is part of the process,” says Joe.
“Growing up, every day he was up early. Fine tuning habits.
“Giving him warning signs to understand what he needed to do to go to that next level.
“Daily habits and having non-negotiables that he had to do, like train, eat at certain times, understand screen time and not scrolling on his phone.
“So that every day, he had a process of mentally preparing himself to train.
“We’d watch a lot of film, a lot of footy on the weekends and even break down certain parts of players’ games.
“From Thurston to Benji (Marshall).
“He’d watch Thurston and how he would pick apart certain edges with the way he ran, to the way he double-pumped, to the way he saw the defence coming at him.’’
Off the field, the Dogs have been steeling the classy ball-carrier for first grade for weeks.
He travelled to Melbourne in round two and New Zealand in round four as a travelling reserve.
It’s on away trips, where every member of the coaching staff can gaze an eye over at the buffet to see who is piling up their plate.
It’s in the hotel foyer where they can see who presents in thongs and board shorts instead of pants and polo shirt.
If not next week, Oloapu’s time in the NRL will come.
And with him will be his family and the words of his late-father.
“We take Dad in our hearts everywhere we go,’’ Joe said.
“He’s instilled a lot of good habits within us, which have been passed on now forever to Karl.’’
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