It wasn’t that long ago that Accor Stadium, the venue for this Sunday’s NRL Grand Final, was Paul Alamoti’s home ground as a member of the Canterbury Bulldogs.
The hardworking Panthers centre played 19 games with the Dogs last year – eight of those at home – but none of those fixtures will come close to what he’ll experience at the former Olympic stadium come Sunday night.
Last Saturday, when the full-time siren rang sending Penrith to a fifth straight decider, Alamoti had to put a lid on his celebrations even though – deep inside – he couldn’t contain his excitement at how far he has come as a player in the space of 12 months.
While his more experienced teammates knew the job was far from over, Alamoti tapered his joy somewhat as fans celebrated in the stands.
“That’s exactly how I felt, I just fed off the energy of the boys because they’ve been here for the last five years,” Alamoti told the Weekender.
“I kind of kept the same feeling that they did, but afterwards – 20 minutes after the game – I stood there to soak it all in. I wanted to be present and understand where I’m at and what I’ve achieved. That’s when the emotion started to kick in, just the realisation where I was at.”
Alamoti, who has played 15 games for the Panthers this season, enjoyed the best game of his short career during last Saturday’s Preliminary Final against the Cronulla Sharks.
Not only did he score two important tries, but Penrith coach Ivan Cleary made special mention of him during his post-match press conference.
Alamoti said he was happy that he was able to contribute to the result like he did.
“One of the best things is knowing that I was able to contribute to the game and put in a good performance for the boys, knowing they can trust me on such a big occasion,” he said.
“That game was probably the best prep I could get for a Grand Final and it was good knowing that we all performed well and we’re going into the game feeling good.”
Still residing in the family home in Revesby, family is hugely important to Alamoti and he’ll have plenty in the stands this Sunday at Accor Stadium.
“I’ve got a fair few tickets, a big turn-out,” he revealed.
“Normally my family come to watch me every week. My family has been there from the beginning since I started playing footy, so it will be no different this weekend.
“Not every player experiences a Grand Final, so for me to get here so early in my career – two years in – it’s very special.”
Nathan Taylor
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender's Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.