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.
โThe whole reason Iโm here is because of โBozoโ. 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.
โWe wouldnโt talk footy for the first half hour, it was all about family. I loved that because Iโm all about family.
โHe would talk about his grandkids, his kids, and then afterwards, he would ask me what else do you want to talk about, like 'whatโs happening with footy'?
โI would say โfootyโs alright, you keep the ball, make a couple of tacklesโ. 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.
โIsaiah 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 โhow did you enjoy it?โ. He says โI loved it. My next question is โwho do you want to see, who do you want to talk to?โ.
โLast week we played the Knights and he goes โI want to talk to (Kalyn) Ponga, I want to talk to (Tyson) Frizellโ. I say how about Dad?. He goes โoh yeah, that tooโ.
โI just love it, I love to share the experience, and thatโs the reason why I bring him out onto the field.โ
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.
