Trent Toelau didn’t just return to Melbourne so he could bring his partner and kids closer to family, with the playmaker eyeing off a spot in Craig Bellamy’s 17 after gaining invaluable experience in the Penrith system.
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It’s a homecoming for the 26-year-old who was a star in the Storm pathways system where he won back-to-back Darren Bell Medals as the club’s best under-20s player in 2018 and 2019.
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With his path blocked at the Storm, Toelau headed to Sydney where he spent five seasons at the Panthers and played 11 NRL matches, predominantly coming off the bench.
But he’s back in Melbourne now where he looms as a genuine halves replacement for rep stars Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster if they’re unavailable with Jonah Pezet no longer at the club.
He can also fill in at hooker if required which would allow Tyran Wishart to remain the utility on the bench.
“The sell for me was to come home,” he told the NewsWire.
“There wasn’t a clear pitch of where I may be in the 17. For me, it was about getting my partner and kids home and getting them settled around family again which puts my mind at ease knowing they’re OK when I’m at training.
“As long as I’m playing, my goal will always be to push for a spot in the 17 every week.
“I’m at an age now and I’ve had enough experience that I can push for that, so hopefully that comes.
“It feels like home. I feel very blessed to be able to come back here and I feel like I’ve made the right decision. I played all my juniors here, but at the end of Flegg, it was time to move on.
“Even with my time away, the Storm held a special place in my heart and I always hoped I’d be able to return one day. I’m just grateful that I was able to come back.”
Toelau returns a very different player to the one who left in 2019, with the playmaker learning plenty off superstar halves Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai in Penrith.
“It’s just experience,” he replied when asked how he’d evolved.
“I got to be around a lot of good players through a good time at Penrith. Being able to be around the club during a time like that was very special.
“They gave me a chance to finally live out my dream of playing in the NRL, and I feel like I can bring something back down to Melbourne.”
While he didn’t get many opportunities last season, Toelau showed in the trials that he had the talent to lead a team.
He scored a try and set up two more against Manly with Penrith’s stars all unavailable because of the Las Vegas trip.
Toelau led the Panthers to a shock win that night at Leichhardt Oval but only ended up playing two NRL games, with an injury setback coming at the worst time.
“It was frustrating, but I’m pretty relaxed with that stuff because I know it’s all part of the game,” he said.
“I try to control what I can control. The injury was something I wish didn’t happen, but it did.
“All I could control after that was pushing to get better so I could push for my spot in first grade. I had to go back to NSW Cup and perform well, which I did, and that allowed me to play a few more games.”
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