Benaiah Ioelu is the self-confessed \u201cfanboy\u201d who has to decide whether to pass left to Sam Walker or right to Daly Cherry-Evans after Roosters coach Trent Robinson put his faith in the young gun to start while new recruit Reece Robson is injured.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s an Instagram post from last year where Ioelu calls himself a fanboy who was allowed on the field, with the rising star including a video from the 2013 grand final where winger Daniel Tupou scores off a kick.<\/p>\n
The clip then shows Ioelu putting in a similar kick for the veteran winger to score 12 years later, with the next slide accompanied by one simple word: crazy. <\/p>\n
Having only just turned 22, the 12-gamer is still a relative rookie in the game but already has a lifetime of memories after getting to play alongside some of his idols in the NRL and in his three games for Samoa in the Pacific Championships.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you heard my phone calls with my mum, she\u2019d have all the receipts,\u201d he said with a smile that lasted the entire nine-minute interview. <\/p>\n
\u201cEven just wrestling against players, I still fanboy. I feel like that\u2019s the joy I have in the game. When I step on the field, it\u2019s hard to appreciate that I was watching them not that long ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s until I reflect on my game at night and the players I played with that it makes you appreciate the discipline that you have in your life and the times that you wanted to give up or the days that you don\u2019t want to go training.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou start to appreciate the hard work because these small rewards that you have, you look back and think \u2018damn, I just played with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck\u2019. He\u2019s my favourite player, so it\u2019s crazy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they text me and call me now, I don\u2019t want to sound like too much of a fanboy (but it\u2019s incredible).\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s why he\u2019s not fazed when a veteran half barks for the ball out of dummy-half or if he\u2019s forced to do extras at training because he knows how hard it was to be in this position.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy journey with league, it didn\u2019t happen just like that like a star boy out of school,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of a sudden I\u2019m playing NRL like 18 years old. I had to work for it, so every single week I\u2019m ripping it out at training with them. I feel like that\u2019s where I\u2019m more appreciating it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m doing short-side plays with DCE (Cherry-Evans). I\u2019m watching him play for Queensland and all that and it\u2019s crazy because out of the whole world, how does one person like me get to be blessed to be able to be yelled at to \u2018give me clean service\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s something of a blessing because there are many boys grinding for a spot like this in my position and I never know how many games I\u2019m going to play, so I want to appreciate every moment they tell me off.\u201d<\/p>\n
These experiences will only grow over the years, with Ioelu pinching himself after he got to play alongside the Roosters\u2019 new halves pairing in a trial game last month. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s pretty crazy. I\u2019m playing with DCE, wow,\u201d he beamed. <\/p>\n
\u201cI always get caught up in these moments where I\u2019m just going out there and playing footy, but then once I reflect usually at night after the game and then I\u2019m like, \u2018Damn, yeah, I actually played with DCE\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut answering your question, it was just so simple. He approaches the game so simply and that\u2019s what I feel like I\u2019m learning from every single professional player, being in that Pacific Champs team, playing with Jarome Luai.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe boys with experience, they just keep it so simple, but it\u2019s the constant turning up every day and just doing the same work and being consistent. I feel like that\u2019s what they all have in common and that\u2019s what I\u2019m learning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ioelu will play ahead of Connor Watson with Robson sidelined for the opening rounds, with one powerful ally helping him handle all the pressure that comes with starting for a glamour club like the Roosters. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe approach doesn\u2019t change. I feel like just more of the mental side, obviously it\u2019s a lot to play in the NRL and dealing with media, fans and talk, hype,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like what helps me the most is my relationship with God and having that outside mind and not focusing on the opinion of man but just focusing on the promises of God and trusting him. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what helps me to perform every single week.\u201d<\/p>\n