When Sio Siua Taukeiaho was forced out of the New Zealand Warriors at the end of 2013, the Sydney Roosters were the only NRL club interested in signing the largely unknown back-rower.
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Never mind they'd just won a premiership with Sonny Bill Williams, Frank-Paul Nuuausala and Jared Waerea-Hargraves leading their forward pack. The NRL champions saw something in the New Zealand youngster and were willing to invest the time and energy that would allow him to thrive.
The Roosters have long employed an extensive player welfare program which helps integrate new players into the club, be they Polynesian, Aboriginal or from the far and wide country reaches of Australia.
In a league boasting more Polynesian recruits than ever before, nurturing players such as Taukeiaho through inevitable bouts of homesickness is paramount to unlocking their potential in the NRL.
"It was hard for me to leave my family back in New Zealand and come here but it was the right thing for me if I wanted to keep playing footy and make a career out of it," Taukeiaho said.
"It pretty much took me a year [to settle]. In 2014 I missed all my family back at home. I had a pretty tough season during that year as well, wasn't really comfortable.
"My last year was like a do-or-die for me. If I didn't play good footy in 2015 and train hard then obviously the NRL's not there for me and I went pretty well during pre-season and got my first crack in round one and then everything just went on from there.
"Ever since then and after re-signing with the club I told them I don't want to be anywhere else besides the Roosters, and I told them I want to be coached by Trent Robinson."
Taukeiaho signed a contract extension at the end of last season which will keep him at the Bondi club until at least 2020.
That he's come so far since leaving his Auckland home is testament to the Roosters' welfare programs which spread right across the playing group from their youngest juniors through to retiring veterans.
For new players that land in Sydney without a family and social network, the Roosters have a system by which they help integrate homesick youngsters into Sydney society.
They enter a share home with other new teammates, and are looked after by a set of house parents who help out with cooking and cleaning while teaching the players the basic life skills required for living independently.
That's stage one of the program, during which they must abide by a set of house rules drawn up by the club's education and welfare manager Damon Spooner. Things like no alcohol, no smoking and no females allowed at night time.
Each player is given a weekly schedule telling them when and where they need to be for training, rehabilitation and game days, and they're also encouraged to undertake education or even begin an apprenticeship.
By about June, the players are required to start cooking and cleaning for themselves, while still under the care of house parents.
Stage two follows after that first year, and the players are moved into a five-bedroom house where they fend for themselves. House parents live upstairs and keep an eye on the players, reporting back to the club to provide feedback on their cooking and cleaning skills, or if they notice any erratic behaviour.
"I get a report from the house every week to see how they're going with their life skills, if they've been completed or not, if there are any red flags that may pop up," Spooner said.
"These houses are full of testosterone so you're going to get maybe a couple of clashes. Most of them are really good, they've built some life-long relationships.
"After stage two they can then go and venture out and live for themselves, rent their own property."
Spooner maintains constant contact with each player's family, and encourages the club's Polynesian contingent to go and visit their parents whenever possible, usually during bye week.
When the Roosters travel to New Zealand to play the Warriors, they host a dinner where young players can invite their families along to meet other members of the club.
Spooner's team is also in frequent contact with rival NRL clubs, swapping ideas and initiatives for the betterment of player welfare throughout the league.
They also regularly catch up with the NSW Waratahs, Sydney Swans and Cricket NSW for the same reasons.
If the Roosters sign someone from another club, he'll contact the club's welfare officer to discuss the player. By the same token, if a Roosters player signs with a rival, Spooner will contact that club in advance for the same reasons.
"I try and have good relationships with everyone who deals with the players, strappers, physios, trainers, doctors, coaches, the career coach," Spooner said.
"Those guys help raise any red flags that might come up on an emotional level. The red flags are normally injuries, non-selections, end of contracts coming up can be extremely stressful.
"It could be something like I got a parking fine the other day and I don't know how to pay for that, to my brother tried to take a handful of pills and kill himself. That's one end of the spectrum to the other."
Taukeiaho is another Roosters success story. He's into his second year of a mechanic apprenticeship, has established himself as a powerful impact player off a strong interchange bench, and has bought into the belief that this club is ready to win another NRL premiership.
It starts with the Wests Tigers on Saturday at Allianz Stadium.
"The second half it was all Tigers. They kept chasing and they ended up coming away with the win.
"They have a lot of Polynesians in there and through the middle they're strong. It's something for us that we've got to work on and it's going to be a tough game."
