LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
'It was a rollercoaster to rewatch it': How Paul Alamoti and Sunia Turuva went from grand final foes to lifelong mates
Paul Alamoti and Sunia Turuva have formed an unbreakable partnership on Penrith's left flank, but things looked a lot different just a couple of years ago.
According to the folks over at news.com.au, they may be teammates now in search of championship glory, but not too long ago Turuva and Alamoti were adversaries on that fateful grand final day when the Panthers clashed with the Bulldogs in a legendary NSW Cup showdown.
In a battle of epic proportions, a loaded Penrith squad led by J'maine Hopgood narrowly defeated Canterbury 29-22, with Turuva drawing first blood and then sealing the deal with a try six minutes from the final whistle at CommBank Stadium.
At that time, Turuva had only played three NRL matches and was facing off against Alamoti, a mere 18-year-old youngster yet to make his mark in first grade.
Much has changed since that momentous day, as Alamoti bid farewell to Canterbury to join the reigning champions, where he now stands shoulder to shoulder with Turuva, who is set to join the Wests Tigers in 2025.
"Some of the lads were teasing us about that grand final," Alamoti chuckled.
"It was quite a trip to watch it again and see how we were back then.
It's pretty mind-blowing to reflect on how far we've both come in just two years."