It’s 100 NRL games for Siosifa Talakai tonight.
The 27-year-old played 11 games for the Rabbitohs across the 2016 and 2017 seasons before dropping out of first grade at Penrith and almost giving up the game.
He was working as a garbage collector to make a living before he moved to Newtown, where he rediscovered his love for rugby league.
“I was a bit disrespectful the way I handled my opportunity at the Rabbitohs,” Talakai told the Sharks website this week.
“I wanted to pay [my dad] back for all the things he’s done for myself and my family.
“[We spoke about] being humble and making the most of the opportunity and seeing what was ahead. It opened my eyes to the struggle we had when we were younger and the opportunity I had and [the importance of] making the most of it.
“I decided to give it a good crack and if it was meant to be, it was meant to be and thankfully it was.”
The Tongan star is the sixth Shark to reach his 100-game milestone this season, joining Jack Williams, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Sione Katoa, Oregon Kaufusi and Ronaldo Mulitalo.