Watch the latest episode of Face 2 Face with Jake Duke and Storm legend Tawera Nikau on Fox League and Kayo on Tuesday night.
Storm and Kiwis legend Tawera Nikau has revealed a stunning story of how he took his leg home with him after a 2003 motorbike accident resulted in an amputation.
The 59-year-old scored 12 tries in 114 games for the Sharks and Storm in his NRL career from 1995 to 1999, culminating in Melbourne’s maiden title in his final season.
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The champion forward also scored 42 tries in 259 games in the Super League for Sheffield, Ryedale-York, Castleford and Warrington and scored four tries in 19 Tests for New Zealand in a remarkable career from 1989 to 2001.
However, two years after his retirement, Nikau’s life was turned upside down by the motorbike accident that resulted in his right leg being amputated just below the knee.
Nikau revealed to Jake Duke that he still sometimes goes to scratch his toes on his right foot because the nerves remain in his leg.
“Every now and again, Jake, you feel that because you’ve got your nerves are in the bottom of your calf where that leg is and so when they put your leg back on, what they do is they cut the bone short, they get a grind, they grind it all down, get a buffer, buff it all up, pull the skin over, stitch the nerves back in,” Nikau explained on Face 2 Face.
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Storm legend Tawera Nikau had his leg amputated.Source: FOX SPORTS
The proud Maori man, Nikau revealed the amazing story of how he asked doctors if he could keep his leg after it was amputated.
“When I told the doctor I was gonna have my leg cut off, he came and gave me this green form,” Nikau said.
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“I said, oh, what’s that for, Doc? He says, oh, can you sign the form? When you cut your leg off, when we amputate your leg, you see look at the window. I said, yep, you see those big incinerators? We incinerate the leg.
“And I said, Doc, have you heard of cultural sensitivity? And he says, what do you mean? I said, I’m Māori, that leg belongs to me. I’m gonna take it home when I go.
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Nikau celebrates the Storm’s 1999 Grand Final win.Source: News Limited
“He said, well, no one’s ever asked to do that before. I said, well, can you sort it out?”
The Doctor made good on his promise and allowed Nikau his unusual request.
“So he comes in, discharges me, gives me the green form and he says to me, just take that down to the morgue, give them the form and they’ll give you your leg, you can take it home,” Nikau said.
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“I said, oh, that’s awesome, so jumped in the wheelchair, went around in the elevator, down to the basement, got to the morgue.”
Nikau revealed he originally planned to preserve the leg in a bar in his house.
“There’s a lady in the office, I gave her the green form. She looks at the form, looks at me, she goes, what are you gonna do with your leg?” Nikau continued.
“I said, oh, I just built a new house and I got a big bar in it.
Tawera Nikau walking with his dog.Source: FOX SPORTS
“I’m gonna put it in big jar and leave it on the bar in formaldehyde. She goes, oh, that’s a bit gory, isn’t it?
“It’s my bloody leg, I can do whatever I wanna do with it can’t I? So I got the leg, got home that afternoon, my mum picked me up, took me home.
“And I wanted to see what my leg looked like, so it was in this brown box about this big. So when I got home, I had to look at it.
“I thought, oh, shit, that looks a bit gory. I don’t know if I’m gonna put that on the bar in the jar, so I just got a big rubbish bag and I wrapped it up and I put it in the freezer at home in the garage.”
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The amazing story took a hilarious turn when Nikau had a BBQ at his house shortly after.
“About two weeks later, we had a barbecue at my house,” Nikau said.
“True story, true story. My mate Shane, the butcher, comes over. I said, bro, can you go in the shed and grab that leg of pork off the top shelf?
“So he goes in the shed, unwraps it, opens it up and he throws the leg in the air, it was my leg.”
A family tragedy years later saw Nikau make the decision to finally part ways with his leg.
“Not long after, about two years later, one of my nephews passed away,” Nikau said.
“There is a place in Maori culture where we bury all our dead.
“And one of my nephews passed away and I buried it upside down on top of my nephew, so he could have something to play around with. But that’s what happened to my leg, mate.”