Rugby League: New Zealand Warriors wing Ken Maumalo a good Kiwi man

Warriors wing Ken Maumalo is pumped about children enjoying a Kiwi upbringing. Photo / Photosport

Fatherhood has had a profound impact on Ken Maumalo's career. Not only has it given the Warriors wing extra purpose every time he takes the field for training or games, but the thought of future children also stymied a potential move to Australia three years ago.

In 2016, Maumalo was considering a deal with the St George Illawarra Dragons, as he struggled to secure a permanent spot at the Warriors, stuck behind Manu Vatuvei.

In the end, the Papatoetoe Panthers junior decided to stay in Auckland, partly because of any future offspring, to be around family.

"It was a big consideration at the time," Maumalo told the Herald on Sunday. "I just wanted [any children] to be here rather than in Australia. I wanted [them] to experience the Kiwi life, because I am Kiwi, and I wanted [them] to be around family and around mum and dad. Once I decided that, I pretty much locked it in to stay."

There has been no turning back. In 2017, Maumalo became ever-present, hastening the departure of Vatuvei, and one of the most valuable players in the squad. Last year, he was even better, averaging more than 140 running metres per game. His progress was rewarded last August, when he was given a contract extension until the end of the 2022 season.

That deal came just a week after the arrival of son Leighken, with partner Lereno Tangata, and Maumalo is thriving as a parent.

"I enjoy it," said Maumalo. "I guess it is something that motivates me more now. Every morning, I leave knowing I am going to work for someone. Before, I went to work just to work. Having a kid is extra motivation, it makes me want to be better both in what I do in my job and as a father. It's inspiration for me and it came at the right time."

It took about 30 seconds of last week's season opener against the Bulldogs for Maumalo to remind everyone of just what a potent force he could become in the NRL.

In only the second hit-up of the match, the 1.91m, 111kg Maumalo smashed into the Bulldogs defensive line, carrying four tacklers with him as he advanced 15 metres. It was the first of 24 carries that day, for a team-high 200 metres, as he tormented the Sydney team all afternoon.

He was also safe under the high ball — something he struggled with during his early days in the NRL — despite Lachlan Lewis targeting him with some steep, spiralling punts.

It wasn't always that way, as Maumalo struggled for consistency in 2015 and 2016, not helped by a rarely dominant Warriors side.

"He was copping a lot of criticism for certain things on the field," said Blake Ayshford. "Whether they were right or not, he seemed to take it in a bit more. Now he has learned how to handle it. And he has stepped it up a lot.

"He played for Samoa in the 2017 World Cup, which did him wonders, he made the Kiwis [last year] and he came back from there and was a step above where he was at the start of the year. He got our players' player last week; he was phenomenal. He's a beast [and] he's gone up tenfold from when he first started."

Coach Stephen Kearney said sharpening his approach had been key to Maumalo's improvement.

"He had to focus on personal improvement and getting better," said Kearney. "When the detail of that gets identified to him and he makes a conscious effort to work on it ... then it starts to happen. He wants to improve himself and he wants to be better. [But] by no means is he a finished product. There are parts of his game that he needs to be better at and parts of his game that teams will look at and try to nullify."

That will happen today, especially with the inside knowledge Tigers coach Michael Maguire gathered on the Kiwis tour to England last year. Maguire can also take a lot of credit for Maumalo's development — with the trip a positive experience for the 24-year-old — but Maguire will be focused on limiting his impact today.

"The Tigers were good last week and Robbie [Farah] and Benji [Marshall] directed them around the park well," said Blake Green. "We know what they bring but it's all about our performance. That's our focus."