Australia has the Melbourne Storm and its superstars to thank for a rare win over New Zealand rugby in luring try-scoring wizard Suliasi Vuivalu across the ditch.
A 16-year-old Vunivalu was playing rugby in New Zealand - already a member of the Auckland Blues development squad - when he travelled to Melbourne with his school side to play a curtain-raiser against a junior Melbourne Rebels outfit.
The game happened to be at AAMI Park - home of the Storm - with their eagle-eyed recruiters quick to spot his prodigious talent.
Fast forward and 21-year-old Vunivalu has been the NRL's top tryscorer in his first two years and is now preparing for his second grand final qualifier, against Brisbane on Friday.
Fiji-born Vunivalu said even as a junior rugby player in New Zealand he always had a soft spot for the Storm, which was why he turned his back on four Super Rugby clubs and signed an under-20 contract despite having never played rugby league.
"The Storm started chasing me and I was a big Storm fan when I was a kid," Vunivalu said.
"I looked up to players like Billy (Slater), Smithy (Cameron Smith) and Cooper (Cronk) and I pinch myself that I'm playing in a another final with them."
Vunivalu said this season had been special with the return of Slater, who had shoulder surgery after round one ruling him out for the 2016 season.
"Having Billy at the back pushed me harder and I'm happy to be playing alongside him," Vunivalu said.
"I'm also happy Josh (Addo-Carr) is on the other side and is doing well as it helps me with the competition against each other."
Wiser for the experience after losing last year's grand final against Cronulla, Vunivalu felt the team didn't need to do anything differently after coming so close to the title.
He felt their success this season was due to their consistency.
"We're just going to stick with what's been working because that's been winning us games so we won't change anything."
Vunivalu recently committed to the Storm until 2020 and said he wouldn't think about a return to rugby or moving from Melbourne before then.
"I love this club and love Melbourne so I'm not sure about playing rugby," he said.
"I'm here for another three years and that's all my focus is."
