Roosters prop Zane Tetevano catches the train from Gosford to Sydney for training and matches
THE best part about the Roosters playing in Gosford on Saturday is that prop Zane Tetevano won’t have to catch a train to the game.
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THE best part about the Roosters playing in Gosford on Saturday is that prop Zane Tetevano won’t have to catch a train to the game.
Tetevano lives within sight of Central Coast Stadium, which is perfect for a home match against the Gold Coast.
Normally, though, the Roosters big man relies on a train to get to and from his daily duties as an NRL player.
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Since the start of the pre-season in November, he has swapped the family car for the train as transportation to Sydney games and training during the week.
The politely-spoken prop made the decision to give partner, Mikayla, the car to look after his four children — Kamaia Grace (10), Lineira (8), Zarius (18 months) and Zaiden (3 months).
Now Tetevano can be regularly seen on the early morning train from Gosford to Central Station, before walking up Foveaux St to Roosters HQ at Moore Park.
Not that the Roosters bookend is complaining about the long haul — for him it’s a sacrifice he is willing to make to put his family first.
“It’s good because I can relax, listen to music or sleep and then I have enough energy to put on the daddy hat when I get home,” Tetevano told The Saturday Telegraph.
“It just goes to show that there are different ways to get to and from training.
“It is harder than most, but it works for my family.
“I also beat the traffic, it is safe and you get to mingle with different people.
“I’ve had people tell me about their life stories — it is pretty cool.”
Tetevano has met personalities from all walks of life on his daily train rides, but has been particularly inspired by those wearing hi-vis uniforms.
He walked in their shoes in 2014 when he worked 60-hour weeks on a site building steel frames, only days after spending nine months behind bars following domestic violence charges.
Tetevano’s life and rugby league career is back on track, but he still devotes time to building steel frames during the pre-season.
This real-life reality check gives the Roosters bookend valuable perspective.
“I used to work those hours and start at 4am and work long days, sometimes until 8pm,” he says.
“Seeing normal people work hard puts everything in to context. I get to do what I love and travel to the best job in the world.”
Tetevano also wants to inspire the next generation living on the Central Coast.
He admits the long commute from Gosford gets draining. He has even had his skateboard stolen on the train, forcing him to temporarily hire a bike for the walk from Central Station to training.
Challenges aside, Tetevano is keen for the average person to see NRL players are also normal people that use public transport.
“I want kids to see that catching the train from the Central Coast to Sydney can work,” he said.
“If you want, you can chase your dreams.”
Tetevano is living proof that hard work can help anyone overcome testing times to find their feet.
He is excelling in a strong Roosters side while he is looking to purchase a house in Gosford.
Tetevano, though, is refusing to get carried away and only has to look at his forearms for a reminder of how fortunate he is.
On one arm is a tattoo of his late father, Tony, who passed away three years ago following a heart attack.
The other arm has a tattoo of legendary Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley, the man he and his dad religiously listened to in the family car.
“The tattoos bring back memories of my father,” he said.
“He had heart disease and about five heart surgeries and a leaking valve, but couldn’t recovery from his last one.
“I didn’t know he was in hospital for about a month. That was the saddest thing about it, not knowing your dad is in hospital.
“But there is a journey and you’ve got to face hard times.
“I know Dad would be proud.”
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