As a boy growing up in Tonga, Konrad Hurrell and his mates could only dream of playing NRL and on Sunday afternoon in Toowoomba, the 26-year-old will make his 100th appearance in the toughest rugby league competition in the world.
Hurrell moved to New Zealand on a contract to play NYC and was an instant success, using his speed and strength to destroy opposition players, impressing so early he then made his NRL debut at age 20.
71 appearances for the Warriors saw Hurrell become a household name but a mixture of poor form and a shift in attitude saw the centre fall out of favour at the club. A call from the Titans and a move across the ditch was on the cards. A fresh start and a fresh attitude has seen him become a cult-figure in the game and one that oppositions continue to fear.
“I’m a bit excited,” Hurrell said about the milestone. “As a kid growing up in Tonga I never thought I’d get to the stage of playing 100 NRL games but I’m more focused on getting the result.
“We need to improve and I’m looking forward to this week.
“At first it was hard (the move from the Warriors) but it’s been the best thing for my career. It’s just the stuff off the field, I’ve learned more about the eating, the sleeping and so on.”
“My family is quite surprised about how mature I’ve become.”
This weekend Hurrell knows it’ll be a tough task against the Dragons but he believes the Titans have it in them to get the win.
“They’ve got two wins so we definitely need to bring our a-game. We’ve come home, reset and re-grouped so we’ll be ready come Sunday.”
