Have you been labouring over your footy tips for round six of the National Rugby League? Well worry no longer!
Former Australia and Tonga rugby league player Antonio Kaufusi will be sharing his picks on Bundaberg Now each week and weighing in on the games to watch.
One of nine siblings, Antonio moved to Bundaberg when he was 14 and one of the first things he did was sign up to play league for Brothers.
“I never thought I would get as far as I did but I owe that to all to the opportunities I got when I moved here to Bundaberg,” he said.
“I played for two years. I was 16 when I got picked up by the Storm.
“People say ‘you had a bit of luck’ but a lot of that was hard work. Mum and dad drove me all around and we didn’t have a lot of money but they were always happy to pay for rep stuff.”
His professional career saw him represent Queensland as well as Australia and Tonga and included a stint in the Super League.
He was drawn back to Bundaberg to be closer to relatives and as the ideal place to raise his own family.
“In the back of my mind I always knew I wanted to come back here.”
He now works at Shalom College in the sports department and coaches a number of teams.
“I enjoy my time there,” he said.
“I take pleasure out of seeing how the students grow and their journey through school.”
While he didn’t watch a lot of footy as a player Antonio said he was now an avid watcher – all to help with his footy tips.
In the first five rounds he has secured a respectable 28 points.
KAUFUSI’S CALL
Grand final rematch the game to watch in round six
Obviously the game of the round is definitely the grand final rematch between the Storm and Roosters, it also doubles up as the top of the table clash. Could Roosters end Melbourne Storm’s undefeated start to the 2019 season?
It is a tough one, let's flip a coin for this one. I'm purely backing the Storm because they are at home and I can't back against family, my brother Felise who's in for a tough night against his opposite number who is the captain of the Roosters, NSW and Australia in Boyd Cordner.
There's some other great match ups all over the park. The battle of the halves, Munster v Keary, Chambers v Latrell and the big boppers Asofa-Solomona v Taukeiaho.
My upset of the round is the Titans v the Knights. I'm backing the Knights to do a job up at the Gold Coast.
Kaufusi's tips for round six:
Sharks v Panthers
Bulldogs v Rabbitohs
Storm v Roosters
Warriors v Cowboys
Dragons v Manly
Titans v Knights
Raiders v Broncos
Eels v West Tigers
