Super League 2021: Zane Tetevano answers the call from Leeds Rhinos

As a young man making his way in rugby league, Zane Tetevano took inspiration from the stars of Leeds Rhinos’ golden era. Little did he suspect that one day a phone call from one of them would result in him joining the club.

Although he was born in New Zealand and made his name in Australia in the NRL, the versatile forward was well-aware of the exploits of the team which emerged as one of the dominant forces of the Super League era, as well as the personalities in the squad.

So when former Rhinos captain and now director of rugby Kevin Sinfield got in touch with Tetevano soon after helping Penrith Panthers on their run to last year’s NRL Grand Final, the 30-year-old was always going to listen to what he had to say.

Great to see Zane Tetevano start training with the Rhinos this morning, looking good! pic.twitter.com/EOvKA45ej9

“We’d just finished the season at Penrith when I got the phone call Kev was pretty keen to have us at Leeds,” recalled Tetevano, who still had a year to run on his Panthers contract.

“When you get a phone call from Kevin Sinfield, what are you going to do? You go: ‘Frick, man – this is the G.O.A.T. of Super League’.

“I spoke to my partner about it and she said we’d experienced a lot of things we wanted to experience [in Australia] and it was time to come over here and go for another challenge. It came out of the blue, but at the same time, it was exciting.

“I got this new kind of energy where I felt like I wanted to try something new and especially being in Super League. It’s a big comp and a different style of play, but it’s excitement and I can’t thank Kev enough for giving me that phone call because it means a lot to me and my family.”

It was not the first time Tetevano had been courted by a Super League team either, with both St Helens and Warrington Wolves expressing an interest in signing the New Zealand and Cook Islands international following the 2019 season before he decided to stay in Australia with Penrith.

That came at the end of a three-season spell with Sydney Roosters which included playing a part in the 2018 NRL Grand Final success, having been signed from New South Wales state competition outfit Wyong Roos ahead of the previous year’s campaign.

That spell with the part-time Roos proved vital in Tetevano’s development off the field as well as on it, being forced to take a job outside of rugby to make ends meet after being let go by Newcastle Knights in May 2014 for disciplinary reasons.

He combined training in the evenings and playing on weekends with long days making trusses and frames for pre-built houses, with 4am starts being the norm for him. Looking back now though, the 30-year-old is in no doubt it was an invaluable experience.

When you get a phone call from Kevin Sinfield, what are you going to do? You go: ‘Frick, man – this is the G.O.A.T. of Super League’.

Zane Tetevano

“I wish I did that a little bit younger,” Tetevano said. “I pretty much jumped straight into full-time football where I didn’t really learn much about the work ethic away from footy.

“I used to see guys come back from concreting or scaffolding into the U20s system where they knew what hard work was all about. They’d work from 9am to 3pm or whatever it was and were straight from there to junior football.

“But lessons learned, I went back and did that, so it definitely taught me a lot more about being grateful for what I had.

“There are days when I look back and think ‘I’m glad I did that stuff’, so I’m grateful for every opportunity I’ve had.”

That experience has not led to him taking a hands-on role in the house he and his family are having built back home in Australia, but he will be keeping an eye on the build’s progress from afar as he begins his new life in the UK.

Tetevano is in line to get his first taste of Super League action on Saturday, March 27 when Leeds kick off the campaign against Wakefield Trinity, although the Challenge Cup holders will be without several other key men due to injuries.

Last year’s leading try-scorer Ash Handley is the latest to be ruled out after suffering a knee injury which will keep him out for six weeks, joining Robert Lui, Harry Newman and long-term injury victim Jack Walker on the sidelines.

The signings of Tetevano, fellow forward King Vuniyayawa and cross-code back Kyle Eastmond have, however, given Rhinos fans plenty to savour ahead of the 2021 season.

And for his part, Tetevano is determined to do them proud – particularly after being given squad number 13, which was worn with distinction by Sinfield during his stellar playing career.

“I’m obviously grateful and it’s an honour, Tetevano said. “Kev has had an awesome career out of the No. 13 and that put shivers down my spine.

“But I’m never going to be a Kevin Sinfield. I’m just going to be my own player my own way and I’m ready to take the challenge on.

“There is something about the club which makes you want to fall deep into the history of everything and you can get a feel for what the club is all about, and the DNA of the Rhinos. Once I get into that connection and the DNA of the Rhinos, good things could happen.”

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