- Raiders star became emotional talking about father
- Joseph Tapine struggled with his own addiction issues
Canberra Raiders hardman Joseph Tapine was overcome with emotion after recalling his challenging upbringing with a father who was in one of New Zealand’s most notorious gangs.
Tapine, who recently celebrated his 200th game for Canberra, has shed light on his childhood growing up in New Zealand with a hard-working mother and a dad with whom he has a complicated relationship with.
‘He was in Black Power, which was one of the main gangs back home,’ Tapine said on Fox League’s Face to Face.
‘We grew up around them. My uncles, his mates were in it as well. But I remember the good things – like we would have barbecues, we would have games of touch footy down at the park, and he’d have all his mates and all their kids play.
‘I didn’t … yeah, there was drinking and drugs around that, which I don’t remember much; I remember it’s around, but it’s not the main focus of my childhood when I was growing up.
‘It was more, he’ll get his mates and I’ll play at the park until he was ready to go home.
Footy star Joseph Tapine (pictured) was overcome with emotion while talking about his father
Raiders star says his dad didn’t want his kids to follow him into gang lifestyle
‘I think he maybe went to prison before me and my siblings were born. He drove us away from that life as well, he said he wanted better for us and not to follow him down that path.’
The emotional weight of those memories overcame Tapine, who whispered ‘sorry’ as he broke down in tears.
‘We don’t keep in touch. He’s a good fella, but he’s got some stuff to…’ Tapine said.
‘I wanted to get out of ‘Wellies’, I wanted to get out of New Zealand. I wanted to probably have a different life. And I had a thought, if I didn’t crack league … I wanted to be a builder and they pay way better over here.’
The talented prop got his start for the Knights in 2014 and has established himself in Canberra as one of the most respected players in the NRL in recent years.
However, the Kiwi international has revealed he struggled with addiction in his early days.
‘The harshest lesson was probably that I got addicted to pokies,’ Tapine told Nine’s Marlee and Me podcast in March.
‘I was living in a share house and one of the boys said “let’s go for dinner”. We go in this pokie room and like everyone’s first time, just luck – I put a freaking $20 in and won big.
Tapine (pictured with his siblings) said he had a humble upbringing in New Zealand
Joseph Tapine (pictured with wife Kirsten) has publicly disclosed his battle with a gambling addiction
The Kiwi international is a fan favourite and key figure in the Canberra pack
‘Three years later I was trying to have to shake that addiction. Pokies and a bit of drinking was big in the culture and that was pretty hard for me to shake.
‘Those things get you. I think athletes as well and we want that adrenaline kick and that’s what it gives you. It took a while to get off it.
‘I didn’t learn about finance or anything back home. I had to learn all of that on the go and Kirsten [wife] taught me a lot of that. After I met Kirsten, she gave me an ultimatum.
‘I think the move here helped, it was around that time when I had that drama at Newcastle. The change in environment really helped me.’
