{"id":315098,"date":"2023-07-10T10:32:51","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T10:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=315098"},"modified":"2023-07-10T14:59:12","modified_gmt":"2023-07-10T14:59:12","slug":"blues-big-softie-wants-to-make-newborn-proud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=315098","title":{"rendered":"Blues 'big softie' wants to make newborn proud"},"content":{"rendered":"

NSW Blues<\/a> rookie Keaon Koloamatangi is a 106-kilogram giant but admits to being "a big softie at heart".<\/p>\n

He showed just that as he opened up about\ufeff his baby daughter Psalms\ufeff on the cusp of his State of Origin<\/a> debut, which will arrive when NSW meets Queensland at Sydney Olympic Park on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

"I'm just very grateful that she's able to see me live out my dream and (that I can) show her that dreams come true," Koloamatangi told 9News, wiping away tears as he spoke about his daughter.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Bulldogs favourite calls time on football career<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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"I always get emotional talking about my\ufeff child because I love her very much.<\/p>\n

"I just want to make her proud.<\/p>\n

"She fills my life with joy every day and I'm very grateful to go home to her every day.<\/p>\n

"I've probably never had a purpose in my life to do the thing I do. She's my purpose.<\/p>\n

Watch the 2023 State of Origin series LIVE and exclusive on Channel 9 and<\/strong> 9Now<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

"I show affection\ufeff to the ones I love. I'm a big softie at heart."<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Koloamatangi will form part of a new-look NSW forward pack as the Blues try to deny a Maroons series whitewash.<\/p>\n

Jake Trbojevic will return after missing the first two games due to a torn calf, while \ufeffJacob Saifiti and Reagan Campbell-Gillard have earned recalls.<\/p>\n

Koloamatangi, picked in the second row, is expected by Blues coach Brad Fittler<\/a> to make strong carries and intimidate his Maroons counterparts.<\/p>\n

The 25-year-old is a big and mean enforcer for the Rabbitohs, but battles with self-doubt.<\/p>\n

"I've sort of struggled like that throughout my whole career, my whole life to be honest. I'm sort of a shy person," Koloamatangi said.<\/p>\n

Stream the NRL premiership 2023 live and free on<\/strong> 9Now<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

"But when I get on the football field\ufeff I turn sort of different \u2014 I find a voice. I'm a bigger player on the field and that's all I try to do \u2014 use my figure.<\/p>\n

"I just want to win.<\/p>\n

"To do anything to use my body or anything like that, try to intimidate \u2014 that's what I try to do."<\/p>\n

For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by<\/strong><\/em> clicking here<\/strong><\/em><\/a>!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NSW Blues rookie Keaon Koloamatangi is a 106-kilogram giant but admits to being "a big softie at heart". He showed just that as he opened […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":315102,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315098"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=315098"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315098\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":315104,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315098\/revisions\/315104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/315102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=315098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=315098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=315098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}