The stabbing tragedy driving Cronulla Sharks star Siosifa Talakai to inspire the NRL

Siosifa Talakai has opened up on the alleged stabbing attack that tragically took his cousin’s life, and how his memory is inspiring the Cronulla Sharks star to keep pushing on.

Siosifa Talakai shook his head and closed the bathroom door of the Cronulla home dressing room.

Tears began streaming down his face.

It was a Tuesday morning last September, just past 10am, when one of the NRL’s most powerful players slumped in the men’s toilets of the Sharks’ inner sanctum, reeling from a blow he never saw coming.

This can’t possibly be real, Talakai thought to himself.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Talakai said.

“I broke down in the toilets.

“You just never expect that to happen to anyone.

“But for it to happen to one of the best people you know on this planet, it was a massive shock.”

Minutes earlier, Talakai had been in a video meeting, plotting a Cronulla ambush of Penrith in the preliminary final, when he missed a call from his sister.

Then came her text – news so brutal it left the Sharks star clutching his head in his hands, unable to process it even now.

Siosifa Talakai has opened up on the shock stabbing death of his cousin. Picture: NRL Photos

In just five days time, Talakai and his Sharks were aiming to advance to the club’s first grand final since 2016. Instead, he was gripped by grief.

Talakai’s cousin and ‘big brother to all’, Sitaleki Filihiahekava, 31, had allegedly been stabbed to death while waiting for takeaway dinner at Guzman y Gomez on Marrickville Rd, in Marrickville.

NSW Police have charged Jacob Tammer-Spence with murder, and while police are yet to confirm a clear motive, investigators are looking into whether the attack was targeted.

Until now, Talakai has never spoken of the heartbreaking loss of his cousin and the impact that Filihiahekava’s death has had on his entire family.

As he talks about his cousin, Talakai points to two small tattoos on his neck with the red ink reading, ‘Faith’ on the left side of his neck and ‘Family’ on the right.

“It hit hard for a lot of us,” Talakai said.

“It’s just a void now. It’s hard to fill.

“He was a man of family and a man of faith. In our culture, family and faith are massive things and he was a man of both.

“He was always everyone’s big brother. Everyone looked up to him.

“It didn’t matter the age difference, if you were distant cousins or a friend of a friend, you were treated like a young sibling by him.

“There is so much love that everyone dedicates to him.”

Talakai has described his cousin, Sitaleki Filihiahekava, as ‘a big brother to all’ that everyone looked up to. Picture: Facebook

At the time of the tragedy, Mascot Juniors footy club president Frank Cookson described Filihiahekava as a “well-liked and respected” member of the A-reserve grade team.

“He was a massive footy fan,” Talakai said.

“We would always play a game of touch between family and friends at Mascot Oval or L’Estrange Park, down at Mascot and he was the biggest winger I’ve ever seen.

“He was a bit like Ronnie (Mulitalo), he loved his banter.

“Everything was a laugh. It was always about having fun.

“I can’t put it into words. There was always so much positive energy around him.”

For fans and commentators, Talakai’s story is a confronting reminder that beneath the jersey are men with lives that are impacted by personal challenges and turmoil.

Which in Talakai’s case, the 27-year-old courageously put to one side, in order to tackle the Panthers for the chance to take Cronulla to the grand final last year – the Sharks eventually going down to Penrith 26-6.

Filihiahekava was allegedly stabbed to death outside the Guzman Gomez restaurant on Marrickville Road in Marrickville. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“My preparation for that game was a bit all over the shop. I was trying to not let it affect me, but it was pretty hard to keep my emotions within,” Talakai said.

“At random times I would find myself thinking about him and his mum and his family and breaking down into tears.

“A lot of us in the family met at the place where he sadly passed that week.

“We took our time there to share our fond memories of him.

“I knew we were playing Penrith, but I wasn’t really prepared mentally to play.

“Physically I was there, but mentally and emotionally I was somewhere else.

“A lot of the boys got around me, especially Fitzy (Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon) and Tony Grimaldi (Sharks strength and conditioning coach).

“They told me to take as long as I need to get my head around things.

“However, I never thought about pulling out (against Penrith). It’s just not in our DNA.

“I still had to get the job done regardless. There’s always going to be a bit of adversity in everyone’s career, it’s just what you do next.”

What’s next for Talakai are two things, one of which is beating South Sydney at Sharks Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

But more importantly, the hugely popular player is on a mission to prove a mentor and man of wisdom to younger players.

“He (Filihiahekava) was always pushing me to stay on the right path and to keep chasing my dream,” Talakai said.

“He would always say that if he had my opportunity that he would take it with two hands.

“He played a role in where I am today.

“With a bit of a backbone and hard work with no short cuts, you can go a long way.

“That’s the recipe for success, just hard work.

“Growing up in a Polynesian family, things aren’t easy going.

“There’s always a bit of struggle in everyone’s family life and life in general.

“I think a lot of us tend to take short cuts and turn to the streets.

“We need more advocates to persuade our brothers to chase their dream.

“It’s always worth it.

“All it takes is just hard work.”