From last on the ladder to first into the grand final, Stefano Utoikamanu has been on a 'crazy journey' that has one stop left to make in Sydney next week.
The 25-year-old front-rower arrived at the Storm with three wooden spoons in his kit bag from his time at Wests Tigers and a fierce desire to better himself under the guidance of Craig Bellamy.
“This time last year I was sitting at home watching the finals," Utoikamanu said after his starring role in Friday night's 22-14 win over the Sharks.
"That’s probably a big motivation for me, just watching from the sidelines and seeing all these good players playing these big games. That’s probably where I want to see myself getting the best out of myself is playing in these big games.
“Just saying now that we're actually going to play in the grand final – yeah, it’s pretty crazy.”
Bellamy: Our last eight to ten weeks have been outstanding
In 46 minutes of game time against the Sharks, Utoikamanu delivered the finest performance of his career to date as he made it a mission to get the better of one of the best in the business, Addin Fonua-Blake.
With 139 run metres, four tackle breaks and a deft offload to send Jahrome Hughes on his way for a try, the Blues Origin prop had master mentor Bellamy singing his praises post-match.
“When he first came here, we probably did things a little bit differently to what he'd been used to. I’m not saying it's right or wrong, but he took a little while to understand what his role was like, how to do his role in this team,” said Bellamy, who is into a remarkable 11th grand final as Storm coach.
Jahrome Hughes Try
“The last eight or 10 weeks I haven’t seen a better front-rower in the competition, to be honest. He's been outstanding, and he certainly led the way tonight.
“Some of those guys that are really good players, you know, they’ve got a front about it. But he's got nothing like that. He's just a real down to earth, modest, lovely bloke, and the last couple of months he's been outstanding.”
On the back of two appearances for NSW in the Origin series, Utoikamanu returned to Melbourne a more confident player and has churned out big minutes and big metres to help carry his new team to an old familiar stomping ground.
“When I first came here, it was probably a bit of a change. I feel like week-to-week, I've just been trying to improve on my game, and it's probably coming together," he told media post-match.
NRL Best Moments – Finals Week 3
“Preparation-wise, I feel like I've been coming every week and doing the same thing but just coming out of that Origin period - I got a lot of confidence from getting into that NSW team."
In typically humble fashion, Utoikamanu wasn't about to take any shots at those who questioned his Blues selection or whether he had what it took to make a go of it in the Storm system.
“I’ve seen people talk bad about me, not just this year, but last year as well,” he said.
“I was probably criticised just for coming to this club. A big reason why I came is playing those games. The only opinion that really matters is my teammates and coaches.”
