Six years seem a long time indeed for NZ Warriors enforcer Marata Niukore, who has enjoyed a triumphant return to the club where he began his NRL journey.
As coach Andrew Webster rests many of his stars for the playoffs, the rugged second-rower is preparing to step into a leadership role against the expanions Dolphins at Brisbane on Saturday, as he reflects his previous stint with the Junior Warriors in 2017.
"Shaunie [Johnson] was showing us a video, just last week," he said. "Back in 2017, there was no-one in these stands, so to see how far we've come as a team and club, it's been important.
"That's not just here at Mt Smart, it's overseas as well."
With Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney at the helm, and an international spine of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Johnson, Kieran Foran and Issac Luke, the Warriors could finish only 13th with seven wins from 24 games.
During one school visit, a student reportedly asked why they were "so bad".
They returned to the post-season the following season, but that was a fleeting visit, as the club struggled through three dismal COVID-19 seasons based across the Tasman.
Under rookie head coach Andrew Webster, the Warriors have defied all predictions to nail down a top-four finish on the competition ladder and a 'home' playoff fixture in coming weeks.
"When you sit down and talk about the boys' stories - guys like Bunty [Afoa] and Jazz [Tevaga] - it's an insight into what the last couple of years have been like for them," admitted Niukore. "I myself wouldn't want to be in the position they were back in 2020.
"They've had a lot of learnings since then and the club is reaping the rewards now."
By then, Niukore, 27, was long gone, scooped up by Parramatta Eels, before he could graduate to the Warriors first-grade side.
After making his NRL debut - ironically, against his old club - in 2018, he went on to log 96 games for the Eels, including two playoff games in 2021 and last year's Grand Final loss to Penrith Panthers.
His Mt Smart return has coincided with that of the team, as well as Webster's arrival and a breakthrough campaign propelling them back into the playoffs.
Niukore's hardman presence has added starch to the Warriors roster, while also drawing time on the sidelines through suspension. All up, he has paid over A$7000 in fines and missed five games for dangerous tackles, something he knows he must address.
"I spent three weeks during the last one," he said. "I've been working on tackle technique and stringing a couple of games together.
"For myself, we've got finals ahead, so as much as I can, I need to reduce the time off the field and spend a lot more time on it."
Perhaps his finest moment came two weeks ago, when Johnson put Niukore through a midfield gap and he sprinted 50 metres for the gamebreaking try against Manly Sea Eagles.
His judicial record makes his presence against the Dolphins something of a risk, but he acknowledges he has an important role to play, with so many veterans confined to the sidelines.
"All the senior guys are out at the moment, and it puts a lot of onus on us to lead the way this week and take some of the pressure off," he said. "We've got a big job this weekend."
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