Rugby Rookie Follows Cricket Legend Dad to Pro Sports

When your dad blazed trails as New Zealand's first Samoan Test cricket star, the pressure to succeed in professional sports runs deep.

Sebastian Su'a knows this feeling well. The 22-year-old Dolphins forward is carving his own path in rugby league, inspired by his father Murphy Su'a's trailblazing cricket career that opened doors for future legends like Ross Taylor.

Murphy dominated with the ball, taking 5-73 against Pakistan in 1993 across his 13 Test matches. Now Sebastian is ready to dominate in the tackle with his tall, mobile frame as an NRL forward.

"My dad put a lot of pressure on me out of love and wanting me to do well," Sebastian admitted. Cricket was an option growing up in New Zealand, but the physicality of rugby league called to him instead.

That fatherly pressure might have pushed him away from cricket, but Sebastian sees the gift in it now. The work ethic his dad instilled became his secret weapon in rugby league.

The young forward's journey to the Dolphins wasn't smooth. He joined the team in March 2025 after one NRL game with Newcastle Knights, following the advice of mentor and NSW prop Daniel Saifiti.

"Daniel is somebody I really trusted and when he told me about how it was up here I really trusted his word," Sebastian said. The Saifiti brothers took him under their wing at Newcastle, and Daniel's mentorship continued to guide his career decisions.

Then disaster struck on day one. Sebastian tore his meniscus in his very first Dolphins training session, sidelining him for nearly the entire 2025 season.

Why This Inspires

Most rookies would crumble under that kind of setback. But Sebastian spent his rehab year learning from elite forwards and soaking up the Dolphins culture. His teammates rallied around him during the long recovery, turning what could have been a lost year into preparation time.

"Now that I am out the other side I know it was all worth it," he said. He managed a few late-season games for the Norths Devils and completed his first full pre-season heading into 2026.

His goal mirrors his father's achievement in a different sport: representing his country at the highest level. With Murphy's guidance through the professional sporting world and a full recovery behind him, Sebastian is positioned to make that dream real.

The Dolphins open their 2026 season March 8 against South Sydney, and Sebastian Su'a is finally ready to show what a year of patience and a lifetime of work ethic can produce.