Charles Lomu

And so I had to go over to the house where he lived and everyone was there and that's where I found out that it was true, it was a reality.

And I lashed out, you know, I was just sort of, I just sort of was in a rage because I couldn't believe that it actually happened.

I don't think I ever prepared for this moment, for this time.

Yeah, it's true.

You know, you're right.

It is the way of the world.

And for some reason, I just never thought about them going, passing.

I just took it for granted, I think, that I had them there all the time.

I never thought about the fact that there would come a time where I would have to go on without them.

Yeah, that's how it felt to me.

That's how it felt to me.

It was the closest person in my life I'd ever lost.

And so when I found, when I got the news, this was right on during the time where I was just starting to take rugby league from local level into representative level.

And so my father had organised for us to attend some trials to start getting introduced into the younger grades in the NRL clubs.

And so the club that we were going to trial first of all was

the Sydney City Roosters.

And so when this funeral happened around the same time, I just thought, okay, I'll be going to Tonga for this funeral.

I didn't think anything else of it.

So what happened was the family gathered together and a decision was made that they would send a certain number of the family members over for the funeral.

And I automatically thought I'd be included.