Mikaele: I've always wanted to find a home and that's what I've got here
In the second episode of the club’s new ‘Cowboys Saloon’ podcast, in partnership with Triple M and Toyota, host Elliott Lovejoy sits down with Tom Mikaele to talk about re-signing until the end of 2027, playing in a Keebra Park State High team alongside Payne Haas, David Fifita and Mo Fotuaika and falling out of love with rugby league.
The 26-year-old then spoke about moving to the UK to play with Warrington, being diagnosed with Keratoconus at 21, his young son and how he feels like he’s finally found a home in North Queensland.
>>> Listen to episode 2 with Tom Mikaele here
Key topics
0.39 – Announcing that he's re-signed for another three seasons
1.19 – Being born in Auckland and moving to Ipswich when he was five years old
2.05 – Growing up playing for the Goodna Eagles
2.47 – His days at Keebra Park Sports High and how the reason he went there wasn’t for rugby league
3.45 – Playing in the same school team as David Fifita, Payne Haas, Connelly Lemuelu, Jaxson Paulo and Mo Fotuaika
4.59 – How his goal was never to make the NRL but was just to have fun playing football and to try and win the GIO Schoolboys Cup
6.48 – Being a late bloomer and not making the first team at school until he was in Year 10
8.08 – Signing with the Wests Tigers and how hard it was to move to Sydney as an 18-year-old
9.05 – The Tigers senior players taking him under their wing when he arrived in Sydney
11.12 – On dislocating two fingers at captain’s run prior to his NRL debut in 2019 and what he remembers from that game
12.40 – What drives him as a footballer today
13.17 – Being diagnosed with Keratoconus as a 21-year-old and how it affected his football
15.15 - On why he fell out of love with rugby league and why he decided to move to the English Super League
16.35 – His time with Warrington and why he came home
17.30 – His four-year-old son’s autism diagnosis and how he’s doing now
20.40 – How he was prepared to move back to Warrington before the Cowboys came knocking
22.35 – His first meeting with Todd Payten
23.29 – His trial performance against the Raiders that saw him come off the bench and score two tries
24.57 – Finding himself enjoying rugby league now
25.20 – Making his club debut against Penrith in Round 8
26.43 – Holding the record for the longest active try drought in the NRL
