NZ warriors player Omar Slaimankhel has become the focus of an NRL bidding war

PAKISTAN-born Afghani Omar Slaimankhel has become the focus of an NRL bidding war.

PAKISTAN-born Afghani Omar Slaimankhel doesn't remember much about the war-torn life he left behind when he was two, but he knows it's a world away from his current high-flying NRL career.

The young Warriors star is the focus of a bidding war by several NRL clubs, with the former Toyota Cup fullback of the year off contract and destined for more first grade action than what can be offered behind the likes of Kevin Locke, Bill Tupou and Manu Vatuvei in Auckland.

"I haven't got anything sorted for next year. I will just take it week by week and it's going good for me at the moment," Slaimankhel said.

The fact Slaimankhel is playing NRL at all is a remarkable story which can be traced back to the brave move by his parents, father Iqbal and mother Marium, to walk more than 100km from their village in Afghanistan to Kalu Khurd in Pakistan.

That is where Omar, one of five sons, was born in 1992. By 1994, the entire family were on their way to New Zealand to start a new life.

He played for the First XV at New Zealand's leading rugby union school, Auckland Grammar, alongside the Warriors' new tryscoring sensation Konrad Hurrell, before being snapped up by league scouts.

"My family is from Afghanistan, so I'm Afghani. I came over to New Zealand very young," he said.

"I don't remember too much . .

I'm just thankful that it happened this way and I'm real thankful for this opportunity."

The opportunity he talks about is his chance to cover for the injury of Vatuvei for the past three NRL games.

At Skilled Park last Saturday, he almost pulled off one of the most spectacular tries this season when with his body in the air and out of bounds he reached around the corner post to ground the ball in the corner, only just collecting the chalk.