Jacob Gagai ready to shine at Huddersfield showing kids the right path
JACOB Gagai hopes to guide Huddersfield up the Super League table after showing children the right path in life.
And the power of Kantok is fuelling his dream of making it as a full-time rugby league player.
The proud Australian of Torres Strait Island – the string just off the northern coast of the country – descent cannot be accused of lacking heart.
After years in the reserve ranks, he scored on his NRL debut for South Sydney Rabbitohs in the season opener in Las Vegas.
But that battle, as well as working with troubled schoolboys of indigenous backgrounds, mean there will be no easing off now he is on the other side of the world.
“I worked with boys from year seven to year 12 – 12 to 18-year-olds,” Gagai recalled. “Just guiding them through high school and keeping them on the right path.
“A lot of the boys came from broken homes. So I was in a school every day just being a role model for them. I’d help them find jobs and just be a big brother for them.
“It was very rewarding going into schools. I had something to look forward to getting up every day for, helping kids and trying to change their lives.
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“And that helped with my rugby. Being around those boys and seeing them get their first job or diving licence, as well as life skills, was rewarding.
“It definitely gave me motivation to push more in rugby. When I played in Sydney, a lot of those kids came out to watch me play. That was awesome.”
After taking the advice of Tom Burgess, who made the same move from Sydney to Huddersfield, Giants boss Luke Robinson will have no shortage of effort from Gagai, who left 35 degrees heat for an English winter.
That comes from the 28-year-old’s family slogan, which applies to daily life as well as rugby league.
He added: “My dad is from Torres Strait, both my grandparents were born and raised on Torres Strait – my grandmother on Yam Island, my grandfather on Badu Island.
“And the Kantok motto means never give up. It’s the slogan, it’s something I live by. That’s not just with rugby, it’s with everything in life.
“There were days when it shook. I always knew I had the ability to play at a higher level, I just wasn’t getting the opportunities.
“But my family was an awesome help for me, they pushed me all the way – and Tom played a massive role in my coming here. He’s been awesome for myself in the transition of coming over here.”