Ofahengaue determined to get one over former teammates

When Joe Ofahengaue signed with Wests Tigers, the first game he circled in his calendar was Round 18’s clash against the Broncos.

A proud Ipswich boy, Ofahengaue has been anticipating his return to Brisbane since leaving the club following 108 games in maroon and gold.

He gets his chance to return to Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

“It’s going to be a bit different, but I can’t wait to get out there and compete with them,” Ofahengaue said.

“I’ll be playing against boys I grew up with, pretty much my whole career. Alex Glenn — one of my closest mates — he taught me everything when I was at the Broncos.

“It’s going to be bittersweet for me returning to Suncorp Stadium — I love playing in that arena and I think it’s the best stadium we’ve got in Australia. It’s going to be a bit of fun.

“I just want to win. We’ve got to get a win under our belt. I’m going to do everything I can to make this team win.”

Not only will Ofahengaue return to Brisbane for the Round 18 match, he and his teammates will be based in the Queensland capital for at least a month with Wests Tigers relocating north due to the COVID-19 situation in Sydney.

“I was really excited when I found out we were going away together for the next few weeks,” he said.

“It’s going to help us get closer together. It will give us an opportunity to hang around a player than you don’t normally hang around as much. For us it’s a positive thing.

“It’s all been smooth sailing and the NRL has done really well to keep the game going and making our transition as easy as possible, especially for our families.”