Faka‘amu Nili ke hoko ko ha Michael Jones
Fa‘u ‘e Tevita K. Takitaki

NUKU‘ALOFA— Neongo ‘a e tokolahi ‘a e kau va‘inga ‘akapulu tu‘ukimu‘a ‘a Nu‘usila ‘oku nau tu‘u laine hake ki he ‘Olopelekí ka ‘oku ‘ikai tuku ai ‘a e feinga ‘a Nili Lâtü ta‘u 21 ‘o Afâ ke ne hoko ko e peleki‘auuei fika 7 tu‘ukimu‘a taha ‘a Nu‘usila ‘i he kaha‘ú.

‘‘ ‘Oku ‘ikai teu fu‘u tokanga pe teu kau ‘i he ‘Olopelekí pe ‘ikai ka ‘oku ou feinga malohi ke u hokosi ‘a e sipinga va‘inga ‘a e tangata peleki‘auuei ‘iloa ‘a Nu‘usila ko Michael Jones ‘‘, ko e talanoa fiefia ia ‘a Nili ki he ongoongo sipoti ‘o e nusipepa ni ‘i he Tu‘apulelulu kuo‘osí.

‘I he taimi tatau kuo a‘u hono kaungâ va‘inga ‘i he timi fakaako ‘a Nu‘usila ‘i he ta‘u 2000 ‘o ‘Olopeleki ‘a ia ko Joe Rocococo pea ko e toengá kuo nau ‘asi hake ‘i he‘enau ngaahi kalapú ‘o hangê ko Sam Tu‘itupou, Ben Atiga pea pehê kia Soane Tonga‘uiha.

Na‘a ne fakahâ ‘oku ‘ikai ngalo ‘i he‘ene mo‘ui´ ‘a ‘ene kau ki he timi fakaako ‘a Nu‘usila ‘i he 2000 pea neongo kuo nau takitaha va‘inga ma‘a ‘ene kalapu takitaha he taimi ni ka ko e mafana mo e uouongataha na‘a nau ma‘u ‘i he 2000 ‘oku fakangalongata‘a.

Fekau‘aki mo hono kaha‘u ‘i he ‘akapulu ‘i Nu‘usila na‘a ne pehê ‘oku ‘ikai toe tuku ha ivi ka ‘oku ne feinga malohi na‘a ‘i ai hano faingamâlie ke åne a‘u ki he ‘Olopeleki.

‘Oku ‘ikai sola ‘a e tangata ni ‘i Nu‘usila ‘i he tu‘unga peleki‘auuei fika 7 he na‘a ne tata‘o tu‘o ua ‘i he fetaulaki ‘a e Bay of Plenty mo ‘Aokalani ‘i he fe‘auhi NPC ‘o e ta‘u ni ‘o nau ikuna‘i ai ‘a ‘Aokalani 35 - 25 hili ha ta‘u nai ‘e 30 tupu.

‘I he taimi tatau kuo fakamo‘oni aleapau ‘a Nili mo e kalapu Bay of Plenty ki ha ta‘u ‘e 3 ‘a ia ko e tupu mei he ola lelei ‘ene va‘inga he fe‘auhi NPC ‘o e ta‘u ni pea ‘oku ne feinga ke ma’u hano faingamâlie ki ha timi Super 12 ‘i he ta‘u kaha‘u.

‘Oku kau foki ‘a e hingoa ‘o Nili ‘i he lisi ‘a e timi Super 12 fakalakalaka ‘a Waikato pea neongo ‘oku te‘eki ke mahino pe ‘e kau ki he timi Super 12 ‘o e ta’u ni ka ‘oku ‘ikai pe tuku ha ivi ‘o e tangata ni ‘i he‘ene teuteu atu ki he ngaahi fe‘auhi ‘o e ta‘u kaha‘u.

‘Oku ‘ikai ko e va‘inga toko 15 pe ‘oku manako ki ai ‘a Nili ka ‘oku ne toe va‘inga foki ‘i he timi toko 7 ‘a ia na‘a ne toki foki mai mei Singapore hili ha‘ane kau ki he timi Taiwai 7 ‘a Nu‘usila.

Ko ‘ene na‘ina‘i mo e tapou ki he to‘utupu ‘o Tongá kenau faka‘aonga‘i honau talenití pea ‘ikai ngata ai ‘oku fiema‘u ke fakahoko ‘a e fakamalohisinó ke peseti ‘e 100.

‘Oku va‘inga fakataha foki ‘a Nili mo Taufa‘ao Filise mo ‘Aleki Lutui ‘i he timi ‘a e Bay of Plenty pea ‘oku nau hanga atu ki he ngaahi fe‘auhi fefeka ‘i he ta‘u kaha‘u´. ‘I he ta’u 2000 na’e kapiteni ai ‘a Nili he timi kalasi ‘uluaki ‘a e ‘apiako Sacred Heart ‘a ia na’a nau tali e timi ‘akapulu ‘a e Kolisi ‘Apifo’ou´ he ta’u ko ia´

Na‘e ako pe ‘a Nili ‘i he Lautohi Pule‘anga ‘a Niutouá kimu‘a pea nau toki hiki atu ki Nu‘usila mo hono fâmili ‘i he 1991.

‘Oku molomolo muiva‘e hake pe foki ‘a hono ongo tehina ko Sione Lâtu Jr mo Moeaki ‘a ia ‘oku va‘inga ‘a Sione ‘i he timi U16 ‘a ‘Aokalani ‘i he tu‘unga fika 7 pea ko Moeaki ‘oku va‘inga feesi ‘i he timi fakavahe ‘a ‘Aokalani.

‘I he taimi tatau ‘oku tokoua ‘aki ‘e Nili ‘a Doug Howlett mo George Smith ka ‘i he fakamatala ‘a Nili´ ko e sipinga lelei ‘oku tâ ‘e he ongo tangata ni pea ‘oku ne faka‘amu ki ha taimi kenau fetaulaki fiefia mai ki Tonga ni.

‘Oku lolotonga ‘eve‘eva mai ‘a Nili ki Tonga ni mo ‘ene tangata‘eiki, Sione Tukutau Lâtu ‘o ‘a‘ahi mai ki hona fâmili´ mo sio ki he‘ena vanila ‘oku tô ‘i Afâ.

Ko Nili ko e fika ua ia ‘i he fânau ‘e toko 7 ‘a Sione mo Kaliamata Lâtu ‘o Afâ.