NRL 2022: Melbourne Storm’s Felise Kaufusi playing on emotion after father’s death

There’s enough emotions swirling around Melbourne Storm to ensure they’ll leave nothing on the table in their elimination final showdown with Canberra.

Felise Kaufusi isn’t ready to play his last game for the Storm. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Felise Kaufusi is still in something of an emotional blur.

But guided by a heaving motivation to do both his dad proud and end his Melbourne Storm career on a high, he’s singularly focused on leaving nothing on the field when his team tackles Canberra on Saturday night.

The premiership-winning backrower concedes he’s still coming to terms with the death of his father, and one of his greatest supporters, Taniela, having flown to the US twice this year and as recently as last month to be with his dad as he battled illness.

Supported by the club Kaufusi refers to as family, he missed games in June, including the State of Origin decider and another last month, as he “cut everything off with footy” to focus on family and grieving.

But as he prepares for what could be his 173rd, and last, game with Melbourne, should Storm lose, before he joins new team the Dolphins in 2023, Kaufusi is using the energy of his teammates to drive himself to his best possible performance against the Raiders.

“It has been pretty tough personally off the field, my old man passed away, but I think it’s given me a lot more motivation to not take anything for granted,” Kaufusi said this week.

“He‘s been there since day dot, and to be honest, it hasn’t really hit me that he’s gone.

“Different things or different photos, I look back on different memories and get a bit teary eyed or a bit emotional/ I’m sure that time will come when it just hits me in the face. I’m like, ‘Holy crap, the old man’s gone’.

Felise Kaufusi walks off the field with his children after playing his final regular season match at AAMI Park. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

“As soon as it happened, I just cut everything off with footy. My priorities were my family and my old man, obviously, and the club were very understanding and very supportive in that fact. They just said, ‘Make sure you do what you have to do for your family and when you come back, you come back’ and they’re very supportive that way, which made things a lot easier.

“And as soon as I came back into the team, it’s just felt really good. The energy off the boys, they are really welcoming and it just gives me something to focus on, get my head off stuff and I’m really excited for this finals series knowing it’s gonna be my last year in Melbourne.”

Kaufusi has done what he can to put the thought of the elimination final being his last game “out of my head”, with premiership teammates Jesse and Kenny Bromwich and Brandon Smith also leaving the Storm when their finals campaign ends.

Big-game experience, having played in 11 finals with Melbourne, including three grand finals, 14 Origins and even four Tests for Australia, has also given Kaufusi the tools to narrow his focus this week.

It’s also helpful to have so much big-game experience to pass on to new teammates who are playing finals for the first time.

“It’s huge, especially for those guys haven‘t played much finals or who haven’t played finals at all,” he said.

“Just our experience and knowledge of what it takes, what it’s like. It’s going to be fast end to end and, you know, whoever holds on the longest will probably go on and win.

Felise Kaufusi scores a try in Storm’s 2017 grand final win. Picture. Phil Hillyard

“I think that plays a big part, having that experience so you’re not caught off guard and we’ll take that into this game.”

One of the messages he’ll be passing on is that no one can take a “step back”, with no tomorrow for the loser.

“It’s just do-or die now. We‘ve been fortunate the last couple years that we’ve had another shot if you lose. It’s just all in, you can’t afford to dip your toe or take a step back,” he said.

“These Raiders boys have gotten the better of us these last couple games. We know what they bring and how unpredictable they can be at times, so it’s gonna be a tough game.”