Kiwis strike early

Brandon Smith got the Kiwis off to a flyer when he caught the Tongan defence off guard when scooting out of dummy half.

His run from 40m out cut a hole in the middle of the Tongan defence. He then danced around the Tongan fullback to put his country ahead 6-0 after 12 minutes.

Vatuvei’s tough battle

Warriors and Kiwis great Manu Vatuvei may not play rugby league again after the discovery of a brain cyst.

Vatuvei revealed on Wednesday he learned of the serious diagnosis late last year, just after launching what he hoped would be a credible crack at professional boxing.

The 33-year-old was forced to immediately hang up his gloves and told to never fight again.

He is reluctant to give away rugby league, even though he hasn’t played for two years since cutting short a stint at Super League club Salford after rupturing his Achilles tendon.

“I haven’t really announced my retirement or anything because I’m in denial that I can still play,” Vatuvei told journalist sin Auckland, where he helped prepare the Tonga team to face New Zealand.

The former powerhouse winger said he had felt no symptoms typical of a cyst on the brain, yet medical staff believe it had been present throughout his 14-year rugby league career.

He still went ahead with his maiden heavyweight boxing fight last December, which he won.

All of his subsequent fights were cancelled and he made the unlikely recent switch to ballroom dancing to occupy himself, going on this month to win New Zealand’s latest version of television show Dancing with the Stars.

“When I did this dancing it made it easier for me to get over it,” he said.

“I had to get over it somehow — it was a tough challenge for myself and I’ve enjoyed it.” Vatuvei is the 10th-highest tryscorer in NRL history with 152 tries and sits fifth on the list of single-club players — topped by 190 from Melbourne great Billy Slater.

His 22 Test tries are the most by any player for the Kiwis.