Tim Lafai on how Salford reignited rugby league ‘love’ with Samoa recall deemed ‘icing on the cake’

Samoa star Tim Lafai has revealed that Salford and their head coach Paul Rowley helped him find his love for rugby league again after joining the Red Devils.

The 32-year-old was working on a building site when Salford came in for him ahead of the 2022 campaign.

And Lafai has taken Super League by storm since his arrival. He helped the Red Devils reach the semi-finals of the Super League play-offs whilst earning a spot in the Super League Dream Team.

Lafai, who made more than 150 appearances in the NRL for St George Illawarra Dragons and Canterbury Bulldogs, admitted that Salford helped him find his passion for the sport again.

“I lost the love for my NRL career in the last two or three years back home and that’s kind of what made me want to work (away from rugby league), I had lost that passion for it,” Lafai said on Super League’s Out Of Your League Podcast.

“Coming over here definitely gave me that love for it and I found my passion for the game, it’s (Salford) played a huge role.”

Lafai says he loves playing in front of the Super League crowds because of the noise and the atmosphere that the supporters create.

“What’s better here is the singing and the chants,” Lafai said.

“When I heard the crowd signing when I go out to warm-up, it just gives you that extra boost and that’s when I’m happy to give me time to chat to anyone who is a Salford fan.

“At the end of the day they are the people that are paying your wages and they are the people who are turning up for you so it’s awesome, I love it.”

Paul Rowley has been crucial for me, says Tim Lafai

Lafai paid tribute to Salford boss Rowley for the part he has played in his development – even going as far to say that Rowley is one of the best coaches he’s ever played under.

“He has been crucial,” Lafai said of Rowley.

“I’ll probably name him as one of the best coaches that I’ve been under and that’s purely because he allows me to be myself and not be like a robot, because it can get like that, it can get a bit too structural back in the NRL were you kind of have to stay in your lane and be a robot, that’s how I felt at the back end of my (NRL) career.

“But coming over here, Rowls has just allowed me to travel and express myself and rather than work on your weaknesses, build on your strengths.”

Making history with Samoa at the World Cup

Photo: Will Palmer/SWpix

Savai’i-born Lafai represented his beloved Samoa in the 2013 and 2017 World Cups, but wasn’t initially named in their star-studded squad for last year’s tournament.

But after several injuries in their defeat to hosts England in the opener, Salford duo Lafai and Ken Sio were called up to Matt Parish’s side.

Lafai then went on to play in every game, becoming Samoa’s all-time appearance holder whilst helping his country reach their first-ever World Cup final.

“I have nights where I lay there and think of that moment of being a kid being born in a small island in humble beginnings to going into being the most capped and to where I am now,” Tim Lafai said on Super League’s Out Of Your League Podcast.

“Sometimes I’ve got to pinch myself.

“To pull on that blue jersey and to make history with that squad is one of the best achievements in my rugby league career.

“It was the cherry on top to what I see as one of my best year’s of my career. To finish off like that with Salford and to go into that World Cup squad and finish off the way we did, I think it’s definitely the icing on the cake for me.”

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