Trailblazer is often overused but in the case of Olsen Filipaina, it is the epitome of what the rugby league star was, and what and more importantly who he represented.
Olsen Orekewa Filipaina was born in Kaikohe on April 23, 1957, and grew up in Māngere.
Younger brother Alf Filipaina remembers fondly those days growing up.
"So, growing up, he was using us and all the young ones we grew up with back in the day as practise bowls. That's where his grounding was around bumping people off."
"He was a trailblazer, and we just want to honour him now"
First picked for the Kiwis in 1977, he cracked the NRL big time in 1980, for the Balmain Tigers, becoming one of the very first Polynesian players to play in the competition.
Trademark cheekiness
For former captain Howie Tāmati, Olsen represented much more than just league, with his trademark cheekiness a feature of teams that he was involved with.
"It's the personality that I knew. The happy guy, the joking guy.
"He was the beginning of the Māori and Pacific island presence being recognised by the Australians.
"In 1980, he went over to Balmain, I know there was only a handful of Māori and Pacific people in the NRL then," his brother said.
But it was during the 1985 test series between the Kiwis and Australia where he would become etched in the memory of Rugby League tragics, on both sides of the ditch.
In 1985, then Kiwis coach Graham Lowe picked Olsen, who was playing in reserve grade, at Standoff against Australia. Olsen would come up against one of the best players ever to lace up a Footy boot, 'King' Wally Lewis.
Beating Lewis
Not only did Olsen get the better of the then Queensland and Australian captain but he was also absolutely untouchable, something Lewis has only recently admitted, begrudgingly.
Howie, who often got to see the damage up close and personal, was in awe of what Olsen did in those games.
"To play Wally Lewis, when Wally Lewis was in his prime, and to play the way that he did was absolutely outstanding."
Alf says that, in the end, Lewis gave Olsen the respect he deserved, "I know that Patrick Skeen, the author of Olsen's book, I know they got those two together, Olsen and Wally, and all that Wally remembers is the sprigs."
