Having played 149 NRL games so far, you'd assume that when Marty Taupau thinks of Manly, he thinks of the finals wins and the famous victories. But instead of the moments that he's enjoyed and the players he shared them with, there's only one thing on Taupau's mind before game 150 - Bob Fulton.
Fulton passed away just over a year ago aged 74, and was the heart and soul of the club, a big reason why Taupau landed there in the first place. Fulton, affectionately known as 'Bozo', had a special bond with the Kiwi and Samoan international, something Marty believes extended to more than just footy.
“The whole reason I’m here is because of ‘Bozo’. I love him and respect him. We would often catch up at the coffee shop down the road from his house. We always had a good yarn just about life" Taupau told nrl.com.
“We wouldn’t talk footy for the first half hour, it was all about family. I loved that because I’m all about family.
“He would talk about his grandkids, his kids, and then afterwards, he would ask me what else do you want to talk about, like 'what’s happening with footy'?
“I would say ‘footy’s alright, you keep the ball, make a couple of tackles’. We would start laughing, have a coffee, and that would be it."
Now in his seventh season at the Sea Eagles, the 32 year-old front-rower has taken Fulton's eight year-old son Isaiah under his wing on game day.
“Isaiah just loves being on the field, being a part of it, and catching up with all of the boys. My first question to him after a game is ‘how did you enjoy it?’. He says ‘I loved it. My next question is ‘who do you want to see, who do you want to talk to?’.
“Last week we played the Knights and he goes ‘I want to talk to (Kalyn) Ponga, I want to talk to (Tyson) Frizell’. I say how about Dad?. He goes ‘oh yeah, that too’.
“I just love it, I love to share the experience, and that’s the reason why I bring him out onto the field.”
Taupau, who is currently clubless for 2023, will line-up in his 150th game wearing the Manly jersey this Friday in a must-win clash against the Dragons, both still in the hunt for a spot in the top eight.
