Coach Trent Robinson was among those to encourage a leaf taken out of Waerea-Hargreaves\u2019 book over the past two years, given Whyte was at times deferring to the Kiwi legend and a representative cohort like Siosiua Taukeiaho and Collins at training.<\/p>\n
When Waerea-Hargreaves took 316 games of NRL experience out the door with him last season, Whyte had already played his way into a New Zealand Test debut.<\/p>\n
His post-season review with Robinson crystalised Whyte\u2019s standing at the club, six months before the rest of the rugby league world caught up.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always tell everyone, ever since Jared and that all left, I just felt for myself I had to step up,\u201d Whyte says.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Robinson] was always telling me, \u2018You\u2019re stepping into that next role now\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, you can have the talks with coaches and stuff, but if you don\u2019t action it throughout [the] pre-season and then coming into the season, then there\u2019s no point, so I took that personally.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the Roosters chase a fourth straight win against Parramatta on Saturday night, they have emerged as both one of the NRL\u2019s form sides and a finals dark horse.<\/p>\n
Whyte is a key pillar of their rise into the top eight. Canberra\u2019s Kaeo Weekes probably shades him for sheer improvement from one season to the next given Whyte\u2019s New Zealand debut last year.<\/p>\n
The NRL\u2019s latest elite Kiwi prop will potentially come across a Joe Tapine, James Fisher-Harris, Moses Leota or Nelson Asofa-Solomona come finals time.<\/p>\n
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As a schoolboy at Auckland\u2019s Kelston Boys High – whose alumni include All Blacks great Mils Muliaina and Kiwi internationals Jarrod McCracken, Awen Guttenbeil and Matt Rua – Whyte excelled at both rugby and league.<\/p>\n
Interest from Super Rugby franchises Auckland and Waikato was rebuffed given Whyte was one of few Kiwi kids preferring the 13-man game, with his eyes long set on \u201cwearing the black jersey\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m half Tongan and half Samoan and hopefully one day I get to represent the red and blue jerseys but New Zealand\u2019s my home,\u201d Whyte says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s where I was born, it\u2019s where I grew up and my childhood, my family and friends all came from there. I want to represent where I came from in the black jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n