Joseph Manu didn't need to watch Tolu Koula's match-winning try on Sunday afternoon to know the Manly centre has him covered in a sprint.
The Roosters veteran has long known he's not the quickest player in the game, so Manu isn't going to try and outpace Koula in Saturday night's semi-final at Allianz Stadium.
Instead, the 28-year-old is determined to use every trick he's picked up throughout a decorate nine-year career to shut down his opposite man and extend his time with the Roosters for at least one more week.
Koula scores one of the great finals tries in one boot
"I'm excited to go up against him," Manu told NRL.com. "He's a good player with a bit of speed so it will be a big challenge for me. I enjoy going up against good centres so I'm looking forward to it.
"It's important I don't give him too much space. There's a lot of space out in the centres and if you've got speed and can find that bit of space it can be hard to defend so I have to get up with line speed.
"It's not just me tackling out there, I've got a lot of boys around me. The whole edge needs to be on to make sure we're shutting down their dangers."
Match: Roosters v Sea Eagles
Finals Week 2 -
home Team
Roosters
3rd Position
away Team
Sea Eagles
7th Position
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
Koula has set the competition alight this season and has quickly emerged as one of the fastest men in the NRL.
The outside back's father represented Tonga in the 100m sprint at three Olympics, while his mother is also a three-time Olympian.
Koula ran a 100m sprint in a blistering 10.58 seconds as a 17-year-old at high school and has successfully translated his speed to the football field.
The 22-year-old has taken his game to another level in his third season in the NRL, with last week's try putting a punctuation point on a string of impressive performances.
Lining up opposite him is a man at the other end of the spectrum, Manu nearing the end of a decorated career.
The veteran has made a career out of locking his opponents down and outsmarting them with ball in hand, relying on hard work to develop into one of the best centres and most versatile players in the competition.
It's this mindset, he said, that will serve him well on Saturday night.
Joseph Manu the metre eater
"I've never been the fastest, the fittest or the strongest, I just work hard," Manu said. "It requires a lot of effort but it doesn't require much talent. I've got to do my role and do the little things right and I enjoy the battle.
"I've got a few skills I can use that don't require being the fastest. I've been playing for a while now so with a bit of experience I know what to do in certain situations.
"That helps me out as a centre, there's a lot there for me to improve on. I want to win so hopefully I can get it right on the weekend."
Manu's battle with Koula shapes as one of multiple mouthwatering contests in Saturday's sudden-death showdown at Allianz Stadium.
Joseph Manu Try
Representative fullbacks James Tedesco and Tom Trbojevic will go toe to toe while Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is back from suspension and out to dominate a Manly pack led by NSW captain Jake Trbojevic.
The prop is one of multiple Roosters desperate to ensure Saturday's match is not his last in the NRL, with Manu, Luke Keary and Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i all moving on in a changing of the guard at the club.
Win or lose this weekend, it will be the group's last game at their home ground and the Roosters are hoping for a big crowd at Allianz Stadium to send off their departing stars.
Manu has been with the club since talent scouts spotted a skinny teenager from the small New Zealand town of Tokoroa playing in a national high school competition in Auckland.
Joseph Manu: It's becoming a bit real now
Since then he has gone on to play 179 NRL games and win two premierships for the club, along with 17 appearances for New Zealand.
Manu will join Japanese rugby club Toyota Verblitz at the end of the season. While he's not ready to think about the end, he knows it will be tough to say goodbye.
"This club has been awesome to me," Manu said. "I've spent a lot of time here and had a lot of good times. It will be sad once it's all done so I've just got to enjoy it for now.
"I'm focused on doing my job this week and how we can win. I just want to win. I haven't thought too much about the end while we're in the midst of it all. I won't think about it until we're actually finished."
