There was not a more fearsome sight last Thursday night at Suncorp Stadium than Kelma Tuilagi tearing through the Broncos' vaunted pack. The Parramatta second-rower did exactly what you want from someone getting their first genuine starting crack, the kind of performance that reminds you why you picked him for the job in the first place.
The Eels defeated Brisbane 40-32 in a contest that started looking like a Brisbane procession. Look, the Broncos raced out to an early lead, and if you weren't on the edge of your seat early, you could forgive it. Brisbane was moving the ball around like they were defending champions again, which they are. But then something shifted.
Tuilagi broke through attempted tackles from Ezra Mam and Jack Gosiewski and stepped his way in to score in the 17th minute, and mate, that's the kind of play that wakes a whole stadium up. Tuilagi scored two tries in the match, and by the time he crossed for his second off a Jonah Pezet assist in the 34th minute, the momentum had completely swung. The commentary described him as 'near untouchable on the edge', and that's fair dinkum what he looked like out there.
Here's the thing about Tuilagi's rise. He was born in Apia, Samoa, then moved to New Zealand without much in his back pocket. His journey from a remote village in Samoa to the NRL is far from ordinary, and it's the kind of path that builds character. After moving to Melbourne, he was educated at Hallam Secondary College and played with Casey Warriors before signing a development contract with Melbourne Storm.
What really stands out, though, is what drives him. He's said that playing footy and having an NRL contract is not about him; it's for his family, and when he gets paid, he sends money back to his parents to support the family. That kind of motivation doesn't come from Instagram followers or sponsorship deals. It comes from remembering where you started.
Tuilagi made his NRL debut in 2021 for the Wests Tigers against the New Zealand Warriors, and from there he moved through Manly and into the Eels. Last week he was on the bench. This week, with J'maine Hopgood suspended, Jack Williams sliding to prop and Tuilagi joining the starting side, he got his shot. And he took it.
At the end of the day, what we saw at Suncorp was a player ready for his moment. The Eels are fighting for their season after a hiding from Melbourne, and Brisbane came in looking to bounce back from the Panthers. But Tuilagi wasn't intimidated by any of that. He ran hard, he stepped off his left foot, he found the line, and he scored when it mattered. That's the kind of stuff that earns you another go in the starting thirteen.
I reckon this bloke's got plenty more to show us yet.