Oregon Kaufusi reveals how he dropped 10kg in five weeks
Parramatta coach Brad Arthur told Oregon Kaufusi he wanted him to be more aggressive, and now the young Eel looks to have reaped the benefits from his drastic physical change.
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UPDATED: Rising Parramatta prop Oregon Kaufusi’s desperate bid to play regular NRL football led him to drop a massive 10kg in five weeks.
Now it appears his commitment has paid off with the 20-year-old set to secure himself a place in the Eels’ star-studded forward pack for the 2020 NRL season opener against Canterbury on Thursday week.
Kaufusi, who played eight games in 2019 coming off the bench, tipped the scales at around 120kg but a conversation with coach Brad Arthur led to his self-imposed physical transformation.
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“Last year I was playing at close to 120kg but playing at that weight wasn’t me. Then when the season finished BA [Arthur] mentioned something about me being more mobile, more aggressive,” he said.
“I thought if I did drop that weight it will help me move around the park a bit more. No one made me do it, I made the decision to lose the weight myself now I’m at a consistent 110kg.”
While Arthur wouldn’t be drawn on team selections, The Daily Telegraph understands Kaufusi has impressed among a bench cluster which includes Marata Niukore, Kane Evans, Peni Terepo, Brad Takairangi and Ray Stone.
A typical day of eating for Kaufusi would include a protein shake made with coconut water for breakfast, rice and lettuce for lunch and then more rice and some vegetables for dinner.
“I’m a meat lover, I love a good steak and I love my seafood so it was really tough for me. I think I missed eating salmon the most. But I was so motivated to lose weight,” he said.
Despite the meagre meals somehow Kaufusi managed to maintain his strength in the gym over the period and was still bench pressing upwards of 140kg. For comparison, Eels behemoth Junior Paulo weighs 123kg and was bench pressing 150kg.
“Lifting wise I have managed to keep up my strength, I was still hitting my targets. The big ones are squatting and benching press, I hit 140kg on the bench press, I’m really big on building and staying strong in my upper body. You have boys like Junior [Paulo] who are bench pressing about 150kg plus.
“But the big thing I did notice was my conditioning, I feel a lot fitter, a lot lighter on my feet. I feel like I can motor a bit longer.”
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A slimmed-down Kaufusi ‘shocked’ his teammates when he arrived for day one of preseason in November but none more so than Arthur — who had no idea the impact a short post-season conversion would have on his young forward.
But with the addition of recruits Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Ryan Matterson into the forward pack, the Eels junior wanted to show his coach how badly he wanted a start in the side’s top 17.
“Everyone was a bit shocked when I first showed up to training, they gave a bit of stick, even BA joked that he thought I looked a ‘bit lighter’. But he [Arthur] was happy with how I returned to preseason,” he said.
“I wanted to show him I was coming to preseason prepared, that I’m ready and I’m serious about this year. I really do believe I have a chance to get into the 17 this year and cement a spot there.”
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But Kaufusi isn’t the only youngster making an impression during preseason in western Sydney. Wests Tigers bound Stefano Utoikamanu has been setting the benchmark at training, one that even Kaufusi at times has struggled to keep up with.
“He trained the house down. He’s one of the boys I look to compete with at training. He’s the type that sets the standard and the benchmark and I follow, it is a bit weird because he’s the younger one and I’m the one chasing him,” Kaufusi said.
Last month, Utoikamanu, 19, one of the brightest prop prospects in the game signed a three-year deal starting in season 2021 with the Tigers. While Utoikamanu is yet to make his NRL debut, Kaufusi believes he and his best mate will fulfil a childhood dream of playing first grade football in the same team.
“I call him my cousin, we are very close family friends and we grew up together. It’s upsetting to see him go but he had to make a decision for his future. The Tigers are getting a very good pick up in Stefano, he is very consistent, strong and fit. I reckon he’ll see a lot of first grade this year,” he said.
PARRA’S PREDICTED ROUND 1 TEAM
1. Clint Gutherson
2. Maika Sivo
3. Michael Jennings
4. Waqa Blake
5. Blake Ferguson
6. Dylan Brown
7. Mitchell Moses
8. Junior Paulo
9. Reed Mahoney
10. Reagan Campbell-Gillard
11. Shaun Lane
12. Ryan Matterson
13. Nathan Brown
14. Kane Evans
15. David Gower
16. Marata Niukore
17. Oregon Kaufusi
18. Brad Takairangi