Hope had long envisioned this moment. She had been saving for the day she got the call, and after initially deciding to stay home, she changed her mind, reasoning that even if he didn\u2019t play, it would still be special to see him and spend time with family.<\/p>\n
So, while attending her daughter\u2019s netball tournament in Whang\u0101rei on Sunday afternoon, she booked a flight to Sydney for the following morning and landed just hours before kickoff.<\/p>\n
As fate would have it, Twidle benefited from one of the NRL\u2019s latest rule changes, which allows teams to name six players on the bench but only use four. <\/p>\n
Although the Eels had already used their allocation, a spate of injuries \u2013 compounded by a dislocated ankle to fellow Kiwi Bailey Simonsson \u2013 opened the door for him to enter the game. <\/p>\n
And he made the most of it. In a matter of minutes, he went from an unknown name to one fans will be watching closely in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would have been sitting at home kicking myself and crying if I didn\u2019t go,\u201d Hope told the Herald.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was looking down and we saw him warming up, and we started getting excited and messaging the family back home. When he got that first try, we were jumping up and down, screaming and hugging each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything has been surreal. He\u2019s been over here since he was 16, working towards this day, and hopefully many more like it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Twidle had already accepted his debut might not come. But after being cleared to take the field as 18th man, he admitted he was a bundle of nerves.<\/p>\n
Once he got his hands on the ball, though, everything felt natural. His first touch produced a spectacular finish in the corner, the kind that would earn admiration from even the NRL\u2019s elite wingers.<\/p>\n
Apa Twidle scores his first try in the NRL. Photo \/ NRL.com<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t even sure he had scored, with the try only confirmed after a video review.<\/p>\n
Speaking to the Herald, Twidle said the experience has left him hungry for more.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last 24 hours have been hectic. I woke up on game day just preparing as if I was playing,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce they used the four players, I thought maybe next week, maybe it\u2019s not my day.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then one of the staff told me to get up and warm up. I said, \u2018you can\u2019t use me\u2019, and he told me I could play. My heart was racing \u2013 but once I touched the ball, I settled into it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI landed on my shoulder and head, so I was a bit dazed … the boys were asking, \u2018did you get it?\u2019 and I honestly didn\u2019t know. Then we watched the replay and I was like, \u2018oh \u2013 I got it\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cI only played 20 minutes, but that\u2019s just the beginning. I want a long career in this game. This was a dream come true \u2013 but I want to do it for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eels coach Jason Ryles praised his performance post-match, saying his efforts were outstanding and that he is one to watch for the future, but conceded there are some improvements needed to make him a consistent NRL player.<\/p>\n
Remarkably, Twidle was playing out on the wing, a position he\u2019s never played before, having primarily featured at fullback and in the halves.<\/p>\n
Elation turns into emotion<\/p>\n
After the match, family and friends performed a haka in Twidle\u2019s honour \u2013 a moment Hope said she was incredibly proud to be part of.<\/p>\n
There was also an emotional embrace between mother and son, capturing years of sacrifice made in pursuit of this dream.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not easy for kids from a small town to move away from family,\u201d Hope said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been really lucky \u2013 when he was in Brisbane, there were some amazing people who looked after him. Not every kid finds that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s special for everyone who\u2019s been part of his journey. Back home, they\u2019re all so proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
Twidle grew up playing for Turangawaewae Rugby League Sports & Cultural Club \u2013 which shares the Eels\u2019 blue and gold colours \u2013 starting in the under-5s before moving to Brisbane as a teenager, where he attended Marsden State High School, a well-known hotbed for rugby league talent.<\/p>\n
After two years there, he joined the Eels system, progressing through the ranks from S.G Ball Cup (under-19s) to Jersey Flegg (under-21s) and reserve grade, earning a fulltime train-and-trial contract for the remainder of the season.<\/p>\n
Twidle said his mum has been central to his journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know everything my mum\u2019s done for me, she\u2019s a big reason why I\u2019ve made it,\u201d Twidle said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI moved to Brisbane when I was 16 and that was tough. I\u2019d always be calling my mum and brothers when I was homesick and wanted to come home, but I knew I had to stick it out.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was all worth it. That\u2019s why we were so emotional after the game, because of those sacrifices.\u201d<\/p>\n
Twidle\u2019s seven-month daughter was also in the stands, and he had her name written on one wrist.<\/p>\n
On the other was a tribute to Paul Brown, a mentor of Twidle\u2019s who tragically passed away with cancer the week his daughter was born.<\/p>\n
\u2018Always stood out\u2019<\/p>\n
The Ng\u0101ruaw\u0101hia community was vocal on social media following the match, praising Twidle\u2019s journey to the NRL.<\/p>\n
Turangawaewae Rugby League Club chairman Paki Rawiri said Twidle\u2019s work ethic always set him apart.<\/p>\n
\u201cApa always stood out in every team he played in, but what we still talk about is his work ethic and determination,\u201d Rawiri said. \u201cIf he wasn\u2019t playing, he\u2019d be at the club training by himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was clear he was focused on his dream and prepared to make the sacrifices needed to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rawiri said he and his wife were on their feet at home as the moment unfolded.<\/p>\n
Twidle is the second player from the club to debut in the NRL in the past 12 months, following Aublix Tawha, who debuted for the Dolphins last year before joining the Brisbane Broncos.<\/p>\n
Rawiri said their journeys are inspiring the next generation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is tough seeing our talent leave the region, but as a club, we will always encourage our rangatahi to go chase their dreams.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir journeys will inspire our junior players because they can see that boys from their own fields, from their own wh\u0101nau and community can reach the highest level of the game we all love.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Eels held a special jersey presentation for Twidle on Wednesday morning, which Hope stayed in Sydney to attend.<\/p>\n
He may have to wait for his next opportunity, however, after sustaining a shoulder injury while scoring his opening try.<\/p>\n