KEY POINTS:
Stevie Wonder once prophesised that 'you can't base your life on other people's expectations'.
Unfortunately for Lance Hohaia, most of his rugby league career has been played out alongside other people's expectations, as well as his own.
When he burst onto the scene in 2002, helping to propel
the Warriors to the NRL grand final and then earning his Kiwis call-up, the then 19-year-old was immediately held up as 'the next Stacey Jones' long before Jones had departed. Hohaia is consistently judged against it, invariably he's fallen short.
Now 23, Hohaia is one of those immensely talented individuals who, on his day, can take a game away from opposition teams.
Remember his two-try performance coming off the bench in the 24-22 win over the Roosters in 2005? Or his brace of tries in the 26-0 defeat of the Cowboys in August after a late call-up into the centres?
But interspersed with these displays of genius have been too many uninspired performances.
It was a principal reason why he found himself playing for Waicoa Bay in the Bartercard Cup for a large part of last season, much to the dismay of Hohaia fans like Graham Lowe.
This season he will play NRL, it's just a question of how often it happens, and in what position. He's not even sure himself.
Warriors coach Ivan Cleary says they now see Hohaia as a utility, a position the club values highly. Last year he was viewed as a hooker before ending in the centres.
In 2002 he was a five-eighths, he's also been widely used at halfback and last weekend he started the trial against the Auckland Lions at fullback.
As his father and manager Rex Hohaia said: "At one time or another, he's played in every position except wing. He's even packed down in the front row, been on the bench, 18th man and even been left right out. I'm probably speaking out of turn but when they try to push players into another role, that's something I struggle with."
Hohaia senior has been a major influence in Lance's career and is a strong-willed individual.
"Everybody is always asking me, 'what the hell has Lance done wrong at the Warriors? Why isn't he playing?'
"When you've got guys like Laurie Daley, Wally Lewis, Graham Lowe, Gary Freeman giving him a rap... I mean, come on.
"I'm still a little bamboozled as to what has caused his career to stumble."
Cleary remembers Hohaia as that dynamic, young team-mate in the 2002 season. It's clearly frustrated him that he hasn't really kicked on but he suspects he knows the reason.
"Probably because there were unfair labels put on him," he says thoughtfully.
"Actually, very unfair labels. To say he was the next Stacey Jones, why? Just because he's the same stature as him?
"For a long time I don't think it helped Lance's development because everyone was telling him he should have been this, he should have been that.
"Lance's initial NRL footy was at five-eighths outside Stacey where he didn't have a huge impact on running the game. He just played. Even now, that's what he's best at, just playing."
Hohaia is undoubtedly an instinct player.
When he's on top of his game, he admits it comes naturally. When he's in a rut, he can find it hard to get out of it.
One of the biggest hurdles to his development, he says, was the knee injury he picked up in 2003.
It was his second major knee reconstruction as he had injured the other knee as a 16-year-old.
"It knocked me back quite a bit," Hohaia admits.
"It's pestered me for the past two-and-a-half years and affected my confidence and form. Consistency has been my biggest problem.
"I haven't had a good off-season for a while because of injuries and surgery.
"I now feel the best I have since 2002, and that's why I am really looking forward to this season, wherever I might be playing. I just want to get on the field."
Hohaia seems initially to be contending for one utility spot on the bench with Michael Witt and George Gatis. He could also be seen as back-up at fullback, centre and hooker.
With one year remaining on his Warriors contract, 2007 looms as an important one for Hohaia.
Some might argue a fresh start at another club might just be what he needs ("There were times when people were telling me those things," Hohaia says) while others believe he needs to stay at the club that signed him as a development player in 1999. It will soon become obvious where his future may or may not lie.
Hohaia is maturing well. He's a thoughtful and well-spoken individual who has probably had his mind too cluttered in the past.
He now seems to realise he shouldn't try to fulfil other's lofty expectations, but it would be a triumph both personally and for his club and country if he did.
- HERALD ON SUNDAY