Coco Talanoa — Sports / Page 43

Roosters cult figure Eloni Vunakece has re-signed with the club.

When Eloni Vunakece finally made his NRL debut this season, aged 28 & a father of two, he was the lowest-paid player on the field.

He was only ever meant to train once a week with the Roosters in pre-season but asked Trent Robinson if he could do more, to which the coach replied: "If you can handle it, you can keep coming."

He handled it, despite working full-time as a garbo, with 3am starts on weekdays before training at noon. His first game against Manly was so impressive that Vunakece has been in talks for a new, upgraded contract - timely, given that he's now got a baby son to go with his two daughters.

A versatile forward who can play prop, second row and even lock, Vunakece’s persistence at Intrust Super Premiership NSW level over a number of years was finally rewarded with a promotion to the NRL for nine games off the bench this season.

Finally, it's a done deal.…more

Coco Exclusive:  The Coconet is the only media that has been allowed inside Joseph Parkers Las Vegas training camp.

He shares how it's all going and how he plans to beat Andy Ruiz to create history and become NZ and Samoa's first heavyweight boxing champion of the world!

Credits - 

Director & Editor:  Tuki Laumea 

Cameraman:  Hayden Aull 

Suggested Links:

Joseph Parker - My World 

Joshua responds to Parkers call out 

Rumour has it that NZ/Tongan NBA Basketball superstar Steven Adams is set to receive a massive pay rise!

Adrian Wojranowski, editor of TheVertical.com tweeted earlier today that Adams and the Thunder were negotiating a deal in the $100m ($140m NZD) range, which is expected to be completed by the October 31 deadline (tomorrow in the US).

Basketball journalist Eric Horne who covers the Oklahoma City Thunder for 'The Oklahoman' also claims that In locking down Steven Adams, the Oklahoma City Thunder have secured their core for the foreseeable future.  

"For as long as the Thunder have been a competitive team, Serge Ibaka's been that defensive anchor, and when they traded him [on June 23], they were really pushing their chips in on Steven Adams as a young centre-piece," Horne said.

If these reports are correct and Steven does sign said deal, it would make him NZ's highest paid athlete.

Coco congrats Steven!  

Baller Shot Caller for Real!  

Suggested Links: 

Steven Adams Basketball Camp 

Steven Adams shows off NZ in doco 'The Kiwi Way' 

Two young Tongan swimmers, Finau ‘Ohuafi (15) and Noelani Day (13) brought home a total of 16 medals between them, including 9 Gold and 7 Silver, after competing in the SC Central Region Age Group Invitational 2016 in Suva, Fiji.

The local swimmers from Malolo Swim Club represented Tonga in 19 events over the two-day competition last week against swimmers from Fiji and Samoa at the Damador Aquatics Center.

Team Tonga organizer, Vila Day said they are very happy with the swimmers.

“Finau and Noelani both did exceptionally well, and we were very happy with their performance, especially given that they have not been to a pool competition in over two years - they have been doing mostly open water“

"Leading up to the comp, we were lucky to have Scenic hotel allow them to use their pool, but only from 6am to 7am, before guests were up. We made the most of this kind offer and had training there about 5 mornings a week.…more

"The Super Samoan" has been in the Octagon with three fighters who have failed drug tests and he's had enough. He's demanding a change, wants provisions made in his contract to deter other fighters from cheating, and is willing to fight UFC in court.

Mark Hunt has rained down fire and brimstone at Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ever since Brock Lesnar was flagged by United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) following their fight at UFC 200 this past July, and he has yet to let up on his harsh criticism of the fight promotion.

The No.7-ranked UFC heavyweight has let it rip in the last few months, repeatedly bashing the promotion several times publicly and insisting they do more to rid their roster of cheating fighters after learning Lesnar tested positive for hydroxy-clomiphene, an anti-estrogen agent, in both in and out-of-competition drug tests issued by USADA for UFC 200. To use a driving analogy, he's far beyond honking the horn and asking someone to move.…more

Coco congrats to Billie Paea Dziah PT for taking out the Lightweight Bodybuilding Class and then the Overall Musclemania Australia Title for 2016.

Billie who is of Niuean descent and grew up in New Zealand is now based in Canberra as a Personal Trainer.  He was involved with a lot of sports in his early years from touch rugby, rugby and athletics and represented Niue at 3 Commonwealth Games and Pacific Games as a 100m sprinter.

His journey into the world of Bodybuilding was inspired by his Dad who also had a great physique and owned a gym in the 1980’s. Billie admired the likes of Arnold and Franco Columbo.

Billie presented a World-Class Physique topped with one of his truly epic crowd stopping posing routines.

He now has his eyes on Vegas for his debut in the Musclemania World Pro Ranks.

Watch out Vegas, this man is a class act, with the body, the moves and the style to top it off.…more

Huge crowds are expected in Apia for the first test ever in Samoa this afternoon between Toa Samoa and Fiji Bati.

The game is also special because it marks 30 years of rugby league in Samoa and will be the first time the national team has clashed with their rivals since they were beaten by Fiji at the Rugby League World Cup three years ago!  

Matt Parish, Head Coach of Toa Samoa said of his side "The team is full of young and exciting young players and they’ve got plenty of good football in front of them.  We have about five to six players playing for the Toa Samoa for the first time and we are very much looking forward to seeing them play on Saturday in a national arena.  We’ve also had some experienced players who played in the last World Cup and Four Nation’s tournaments and the Pacific Test.…more

The NRL will pay tribute to 26 retiring players during a star-studded build-up to the Grand Final between Melbourne Storm and Cronulla Sharks at ANZ Stadium in Sydney tonight.

Celebrations for the retirees started on Thursday at the NRL Grand Final lunch with the Retiring Players 2016 Official Class tribute – bronzed boot presentation.  Yesterdays events included the Wellbeing & Education “Play On!” transition workshop & Retired Players function as well as the NRL Grand Final Clubhouse Race Day. 

Tonight the NRL will honour the Class of 2016 retiring players by presenting the players on the field prior to the Grand Final kick off to honour the players and their achievements before they're invited to take a lap of honour around the Stadium.…more

JOSEPH PARKER VS ALEXANDER DIMITRENKO 

Heavyweight boxing champion Joseph Parker heads into what could be his hardest fight yet.  Parker who is used to being the talller fighter against his opponents gives away reach, height and weight to Dimitrenko in his fight tonight.

He puts his WBO Oriental Belt on the line and also risks losing his mandatory position for the coveted IBF belt held by Anthony Joshua and damaging his No 1 ranking in the WBO IF he loses.

Joseph said he wasn't focused on this pressure at all and feels relaxed going into the ring.  

"I feel quite relaxed and the reason I say I'm always relaxed is because I train hard. If you train hard and feel good, you are going to perform good.  This is the time to enjoy.…more

Jason Taumalolo who earlier this year won the Rugby League Players Association's Players' Champion can also add 'Player of the Year' at the Dally M Awards to his list of achievements.

Jason shares the Player of the Year award with Melbourne Storms Cooper Cronk and also took out Lock of the Year.  This is the first time a player of Tongan descent has won the Player of the Year award and only the second time a player of Pacific Island heritage has won.  Previously Jarryd Hayne had picked up the award in 2009 and 2014.

Other Pacific Islanders to win at the Dally M Awards this year are:

Anthony Milford (Samoan)  - Peter Frilingos Memorial Award 

Suliasi Vunivalu (Fijian)       - Top Tryscorer 

Joseph Leilua (Samoan)     - Best Centre 

Jesse Bromwich (Maori)     - Best Prop 

Suggested Links:

Jarryd Hayne - My World

The world of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck