Bunty Afoa isn’t ready for the final curtain – even though his time is almost up at the Warriors.
The popular prop goes into Sunday’s NSW Cup grand final in Parramatta hoping to win the club’s first reserve-grade title.
He hasn’t been offered a deal for next season, as he has slipped down the ranks while more young talent keeps coming through.
It wasn’t what he had envisaged – Afoa had always hoped to be a one-club man – but that is the sport.
He will finish as the longest-serving current Warrior, with an unbroken run of 10 seasons dating back to his 2016 debut, and 145 first-grade games. While sad to be leaving, the 29-year-old isn’t thinking about retirement.
“I want to keep going – 100%,” he told the Herald.
“People are always surprised at my age. They think I’m freaking 35. I’ve only had one major injury. Touch wood, I stay like that, stay healthy and keep going.
“So maybe NRL, maybe England. Whatever door opens and suits myself and my family.”
Afoa has been gradually overtaken at the Warriors over the past two seasons.
He played 21 matches in coach Andrew Webster’s first season (2023), after 20 and 24 respectively in 2021 and 2022.
But last year there were just nine appearances, and seven this year.
“It’s been mixed emotions this year, to be honest,” he said. “Your main goal is always to play NRL; to play consistent footy, and at the start of the year, I thought I was doing that.
“But to see our young boys take the extra step and perform has brought a bit of joy to my career, to see them thrive and know the club is in good hands.”
That sums up Afoa, with former NRL coach and current head of recruitment and development Andrew McFadden describing him as the “ultimate club man”.
“It hasn’t been the easiest couple of years for him, but I can’t speak highly enough of his character and how he’s dealt with it,” McFadden said.
“He hasn’t wavered from the commitment to the club, and we’ll always remember that.”
Afoa will also be fondly remembered by the fanbase, a genuine cult hero almost from his debut season.
The St Paul’s College product was a Junior Warriors standout in 2014 and 2015, before McFadden gave him his first taste of NRL in July 2016.
Aside from his trademark long hair, Afoa quickly became known for his no-holds-barred style, as he smashed into defensive lines with little thought for self-preservation.
“That off-the-back-fence sort of carry, he had that back in Under-20s, and the moment he jumped into the NRL he had it there,” said McFadden.
“Not everyone can do that sort of run. You’ve got to be fearless, and that’s probably one of Bunty’s great strengths; he’s always been very tough.”
It made him a crowd favourite, an idol of the Mt Smart regulars, evoking memories of Hitro Okesene, Iafeta Paleaaesina and Jerry Seuseu.
“I’ve always wanted to be that person that just put up my hand and put my body on the line for this jersey,” Afoa said.
“This club has meant a lot to me, and I always wanted to inspire the boys to try and give a little bit more.
“Sometimes the flashy footwork is not for me, so I always stick to what works for me.
“I wish I had a Shaun Johnson step or a [Roger] Tuivasa-Sheck whack, but I’ve always said, just play to my strengths, the crash and bash game.
“There’s always someone in your team that’s got to do it.”
Afoa departs with plenty of memories. His debut against the Gold Coast Titans – “the most special match” – then scoring two tries against Manly a week later. The 2018 season, where Afoa was one of the pack leaders, as the team returned to the finals.
“That was probably the hardest preseason I’ve ever done,” he said.
“We had [trainer] Alex Corvo, and a lot of the boys just bought in. We did the preseason and then went five in a row.”
Damaging his ACL before the 2020 season, then spending the best part of three years marooned in Australia during the Covid pandemic, are other indelible moments.
“That was a crazy time,” said Afoa. “So many hurdles.”
But that meant the return was so much sweeter, with the 2022 homecoming match coinciding with Afoa’s 100th NRL appearance.
“That day was full of emotions,” said Afoa. “Not just for myself, but for the club.”
And, of course, the 2023 campaign, as the club rode a wave of national support.
“Everyone was just enjoying their footy,” said Afoa. “You play your best footy when you’re happy, and the team was happy. It was a great environment.”
Afoa’s standing was epitomised at the recent Warriors awards, when the players performed an impromptu haka after his speech.
“I’m not an emotional person,” he said. “My whole family knows that. But that was an honour.”
Afoa’s NSW Cup team have enjoyed an imperious campaign, cruising to the minor premiership with only three defeats in the regular season.
If they win on Sunday, they would become the first Warriors side to win the reserve-grade title, after losing in the 1996, 1997 and 2011 finals.
There was a hiccup in their progress two weeks ago, as they lost to the second-placed Dragons 24-10, before bouncing back to overwhelm the Eels 42-14 in the preliminary final last Saturday.
In Sunday’s final, at 6.15 NZ time, they’ll face the Dragons again, who feature the likes of Ben Murdoch-Masila and Raymond Faitala-Mariner.
“They’ve got a lot of experience,” said Afoa. “But I’ve got full belief in our boys.”
It will hopefully be the penultimate game of Afoa’s Warriors career. The winners of the NSW Cup go on to the State Championship final next weekend against the winners of the Queensland Cup.
But whatever the outcome, he already feels blessed.
“From my first year, for a young kid coming through, there were a lot of guys that I idolised that I got to play with, legends of the club that I got to strap the boots on with, like Simon Mannering for his 250th.
“Those [are things] I’ll never forget.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.