Rugby League: I'm Australian, says Villasanti

By PETER JESSUP

Warriors prop Richard Villasanti walked a tortuous mental path before declaring yesterday that he would rather play for Australia than New Zealand if selected by either country for the test to be played at North Harbour Stadium in October.

He has wrestled with the problem for the past year. The anguish has increased as it has become apparent he is in the frame for both countries given his shock-troop tactics in the front row.

He qualifies for both countries. He has allegiances in both.

With Polynesian size and looks and playing in a Polynesian team, Australians have always assumed he was a Kiwi.

In fact, Villasanti was born in Australia and raised by adoptive parents. The man he regards as his father, Max, is Paraguayan and his mother, Montse, is Spanish.

He was 18 before he knew that and his life history was laid out in front of him. He knows his grandmother lives in New Zealand and that there are family ties here. But he has never met the parents that link him.

"I'm Australian," he said yesterday.

He holds that passport. He grew up in Canberra, and went to the sports-specific school Erindale College. He played soccer until age 16, then made such an immediate impact after turning to league that he was spotted by a talent scout for Balmain.

After failing to break into top grade as a regular, 13 games there and with Wests Tigers, he was picked up by the Warriors as a bargain buy in 2001 when they were desperate for players after the reorganisation of ownership.

It has been a good deal both ways. Villasanti has played around 60 games for the Warriors, including last year's grand final, and his big defensive hits have earned the nickname "Villa the Gorilla", plus an enforcer tag, neither of which he is comfortable with.

Given his looks and links, the banter of Warriors team-mates he works with every day, and - he admits - partly down to having a dollar each way, Villasanti has agonised over coming out and declaring an international allegiance.

It has been forced on him. Kangaroos coach Chris Anderson only this week found out the 23-year-old fits his selection qualification and immediately agreed he would be mad not to look at Villasanti for the October game and the tour to England that follows given his recent form.

"That's not my real concern," Villasanti said yesterday. "It's been in the back of my mind for a while. But the main priority is the Warriors, helping the team get to where we want to be."

He has one year left on his contract with the club and he is enjoying life in Auckland.

He sought advice from club insiders about how to handle the situation, then 'came out' yesterday.

But not easily. It was mostly nods or shakes of the head in answer to questions. He wasn't enjoying the spotlight.

Can he play as well this weekend as he did the last?

"It'll be hard to emulate but let's hope so. We have to play well."

The Warriors are all fit. Jerome Ropati and Karl Temata will again travel as reserves when the team flies over today.

Canberra impact player Brad Drew hobbled from the training field last night after trying to come back a day earlier than planned with a hamstring strain. His involvement looks increasingly unlikely, robbing the Raiders of any chance in the field-kicking game.

* Actor Temuera Morrison is organising a show of Maori support for the Warriors, with Tuwharetoa tribe members to perform a tautoko on Aussie Stadium before the elimination game.

* Meat Loaf has been confirmed as grand final entertainment, the oversized Canadian to perform his old hit Bat Out of Hell and a new single, Couldn't Have Said It Better.

The NRL will be hoping for better value than they got from Billy Idol last year when the spinning hovercraft on which he was introduced ran over electrical cabling, putting a stop to his one A$60,000 ($68,000) song before it started.