Mystery twin to thank for Dragons’ latest extension
Scott Bailey |
St George Illawarra have a Couchman twin to thank for helping convince teenage prodigy Jacob Halangahu to sign his long-term extension at the NRL club.
The only catch is Halangahu doesn’t know which of the identical twins he or the club should be thanking.
“To be honest with you, I couldn’t tell you whether Ryan or Toby said it to me,” Halangahu told AAP after inking a deal through until the end of 2029.
“But I was just sitting down after a gym set the other week and he came up to me and said ‘I heard you’re pretty close to signing’.
“I told him I was thinking about it, and he said ‘we’re building something special here and you’ve come through pathways with us. I want you to be part of it’.
“Those words sat with me, I went home and told my dad and I could visualise where it’s all going. It was just like: I think I want to sign with this club.”
The 19-year-old’s signature last week followed the extensions of fellow forwards the Couchman twins and Loko Pasifiki-Tonga.
Dylan Egan and Hamish Stewart have also re-signed in the past year, with the pipeline dream of the Dragons young pack staying together now a long-term reality.
And with Luke Metcalf, Scott Drinkwater, Kodi Nikorima and Keaon Koloamatangi all arriving next year, the vibes in Wollongonong feel stronger than that of a team running last.
“The proof’s there in the past couple of weeks of what we’re building,” Halangahu said ahead of Sunday’s clash with Wests Tigers.
“We’re competing with top four, top eight teams and getting wins, especially over the Sharks last week who are probably the form team of the last couple of months.”
In truth, the Halangahu family have long been committed to the Dragons.
His mum, dad and seven siblings moved from western Sydney to Wollongong two years ago.
Five of Halangahu’s siblings already play rugby league, with a three-year-old and two-year-old the only ones yet to start.
Seventeen-year-old brother Seluki is in the Dragons’ SG Ball squad for next year, while 15-year-old sister Tahlei is also part of the club’s future in the NRLW academy.
Together, they have all seen first-hand how the oldest Halangahu has transformed his football in recent months on a diet of overnight oats and burrito bowls.
After weighing in at 116kg for his debut last August and 112kg midway through this season, the middle forward has stripped down to 105kg in a matter of months.
“The game’s getting a lot quicker and I’m trying to adapt,” Halangahu said.
“I was sitting there one day when I was back in reserve grade this year and I was like, I really want to play first grade.
“I reached out to a mate, Cooper Hale, who put up a meal plan I’ve been on for 12 weeks.
“I’m a lot more mobile now, moving a bit better and just lasting longer. But my strength is still the same.”
AAP