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SYDNEY - Weller Hauraki's voice softens when he recalls his brush with a bullet in Sydney's Kings Cross.
As he stands shirtless at Parramatta rugby league training, his surname tattooed in capital letters across his chest, it's difficult to imagine too much intimidating the 1.85m, 102kg lump of
a lad from Dannevirke.
But this was sheer terror.
"You can't explain it. Being shot at is probably the worst thing anyone could experience. There's no words for it," he said.
Just after 4am on March 3, Hauraki and Eels teammates Jarryd Hayne and Junior Paulo were strolling along after a big night out when a shadowy figure emerged from a car and fired a single shot.
The trio ran for their lives and hid. The gunman is yet to be identified. It later emerged Hayne was involved in an earlier altercation and the shot was a possible attempt at retribution.
Eels chief executive Denis Fitzgerald had little sympathy, demanding to know why his players were out so late, even if they had the following day off training.
At the recommendation of a committee including captain Nathan Cayless, the trio were fined A$2000 ($2320) and suspended for one match. It wasn't a great one to miss as their teammates produced a stirring comeback to beat the Bulldogs 28-20 last Saturday.
Hauraki has vowed he won't go out "for a while" after all the drama.
And he admits the incident focused him even more on the season ahead, starting with the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland on Sunday.
"If you go on about it, it's just going to hurt you even more. (Coach Michael Hagan) told me to get over it and train hard for next week.
"I was pretty shaken up about it. A couple of people from the club had a talk to me and got me a bit more relaxed. Just training throughout the whole thing got my mind off most of it.
"I've put it behind me now and hopefully it shows up in this weekend's game. I'm fired up big time."
Hagan put the hard word on Hauraki at the end of last season, in which he played five NRL matches and scored the winning try in the dying minutes of the Eels' premier league grand final win over North Sydney at a packed Olympic Stadium.
"He said after the grand final `it's going to be a big year for you, get ready for a big off-season'. That's what I've done and it's been tough," Hauraki said.
"He said `it's what you make of it', so I'm going to make the most of it."
Hauraki was yesterday named on an extended six-man bench for Sunday's match, with Hayne and Paulo also earning reprieves.
The 23-year-old was initially signed by the Eels as a teenager from the modest surrounds of the Dannevirke Tigers, where he was best mates with St George Illawarra five-eighth Rangi Chase, and later the Levin Knights.
Hagan predicts a big year for the powerful second rower after his early hiccup.
"He's been at the club for four or five seasons, he's a quality player and was tremendous against the Roosters in our last trial," Hagan said.
"I was disappointed to have to leave him out for the first game. I'm sure he'll be an integral part of our team this year, a real quality player for us every week."
Hauraki was 18th man last year when the Eels pipped the Warriors in their Auckland playoff, so is eager for a chance to run on to Mt Smart Stadium.
He thinks the Warriors will do it tough without their injured captain Steve Price, and warned them confidence is high at the Eels, who shortened to $7 NRL second favourites this week.
"The boys were really pumped after that win. Everyone put in 100 per cent, especially after what's all happened in the couple of weeks before that."
A possible Kiwis debut at the World Cup in October/November is Hauraki's big goal for 2008, and he's hoping his torturous pre-season regime will pay off.
"Our trainer Hayden Knowles is the trainer for the Kiwis so hopefully he puts in a few good words for me," he said with a grin.
"I'm doing a lot of fitness and extra training. It's helped me big time. One of my biggest goals this year is to be fit on the field and just play as many minutes as I can."
- NZPA