ALBERT Hopoate has moved to Warrington to play for its rugby league team – but he has set out to do much more than that.
Indeed, the outside-back has been keen to ensure his time in England does not start and end with his Warrington Wolves commitments as he aims to leave a lasting mark on the community he represents.
What is clear is that the 25-year-old and his family have embraced life in the town – and they now even have a Warrington-born second child after he and wife Bella welcomed daughter Shanyce in April to join 18-month-old son Albert Junior.
You will rarely find Hopoate without a smile on his face, and he wants to make sure others do the same.
“Wherever I can, I just want to help,” he told the Warrington Guardian.
“When you’re injured, you end up with a lot of free time so I’d use it going around helping out in the community, so I’ve just kept it going since being over here.
“I’ve been trying to get into helping disabled people around the community.
“I’ll go around, see how people are and just try to put a smile on people’s faces.
“I’m definitely enjoying it here. The family and I are settled and the club’s been massive with that – we’ve been comfortable since the start.
“Our second child was born in April so we’ll always have a bit of England with us now. Having a Warrington baby in the family is awesome.”
On the field as well, Hopoate’s impact has been almost as impressive as his durability.
After his first weeks at the club were dedicated to completing his rehab from a third ACL injury that ultimately ended his time in the NRL with Canberra Raiders early, there were natural doubts about whether he could stay fit – the club even requested an extensive medical before proceeding with the deal to bring him to England.
However, he has confounded any predictions by playing in every minute of every competitive fixture this year – the only Warrington player to do so.
So has he even surprised himself with how much he has played?
“Definitely,” he said.
“It was a big goal, though, and something I was really striving for.
“I feel blessed and honoured to have been able to play in every game. Hopefully I can keep that going until the end of the year.
“I don’t feel like I need a rest – I want to keep the ball rolling. Every opportunity I get to play is one I’m grateful for.
“For this time of the season, I’m actually feeling pretty good in my body so touch wood, we can stay healthy for the rest of the year.
“The boys have made my job a lot easier. Coming off my injury, I was just wanting to get some consistent games under my belt.
“The club has allowed me to do that and alongside these boys, it’s made it really fun.”
And he has used his time on the field well, with his 16 tries second only to Matty Ashton in the club’s scoring charts while he ranks inside Super League’s top five for both metres made (3,602) and tackle breaks (109).
But in what will be music to the ears of Wire fans, he insists there’s more to come from him.
“I definitely feeling I’m improving, but I feel like there’s a lot more I can give,” he said.
“I think at the start, I was a bit inconsistent in some games but there’s definitely room for improvement.”
And that form has come through playing at both centre and wing alongside a multitude of different partners – he has linked up with Josh Smith, Arron Lindop and both Thewlis brothers at various points during the season.
“I honestly don’t mind – I’ll play wherever the team needs me,” he said when asked about which position he prefers.
“All our combinations are built off the field so whoever I play alongside, it’s been easy to slot in.
“It’s not too difficult but whoever it is, I enjoy playing with them.”
Hopoate’s contributions have helped Warrington to secure a return to Super League’s play-offs, where they are also guaranteed home advantage in the eliminator round.
And despite seeing a six-match winning run brought to an end at the weekend, he feels the team are building nicely towards an exciting time of year.
“There’s still a lot to improve on, but we’re in a bit of a flow,” he said.
“George (Williams) has been a big help in that – he’s lifted the team and we feel like we’re improving.
“This will be my first finals series, so I’m definitely looking forward to it. A home final is massive so hopefully it all goes well.”
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