Kodi Nikorima’s rugby league whirlwind blew him back to Brisbane today just five days after arriving in Auckland to link up with his new club.
It was only last Friday that the Vodafone Warriors were confirming his signing with the club.
By Saturday he was in Auckland and straight into a gym session at Mount Smart Stadium on Sunday before meeting members and fans around the ground, fronting a media conference and watching on as a Vodafone Warriors squad member rather than an opponent for the eighth-round clash against Newcastle.
He had plenty to take in at his new surroundings on Monday and Tuesday as he set about preparing for his first field session with his new team-mates yesterday.
This morning he was back at Auckland International Airport flying Air New Zealand with the team bound for Brisbane where he will, by a quirk of fate, make his debut for the Vodafone Warriors at his old home ground Suncorp Stadium in Saturday’s NRL Magic Round encounter with St George Illawarra.
After spending the week cramming on all things Vodafone Warriors, the 25-year-old was venturing out in suburban Brisbane with NRL community staff this afternoon and found himself in familiar territory at Taigum State School.
His younger brother Jayden attended the school and features on the honours board as school captain in 2008 (a fact Kodi wasn’t aware of until he spotted it today).
On his visit, Nikorima met an elite group of year five and six students for a CyberSafe presentation and discussion covering such issues as scamming, online bullying and the pitfalls of social media.
He signed autographs for the boys, posed for group photos and engaged with them before watching them play a game of touch.
For Kodi Nikorima it was welcome back to Brisbane, only as Vodafone Warrior. Tomorrow he’ll train with the side Warriors for just the second time and will doubtless be the centre of attention at a full squad media opportunity tomorrow afternoon.
Then he’ll count down to the special and new experience of playing at Suncorp Stadium as a non-Broncos player for the first time.
It’s been quite a week already.
