Internationals Olsen Filipaina RIP tribute thread

[Wrighty]

Olsen Filipaina has passed. See article below. A thread to pay homage to man who played with immense courage for his country and put in performances that at times upstaged his counterpart Wally Lewis.
A child hood favourite of mine that sometimes couldn't crack first grade due to discrimination in his era.

He rocked my world.

New Zealand rugby league icon Olsen Filipaina dies, aged 64

Filipaina, who played for North Sydney, Balmain and Easts along with representing the Kiwis on 28 occassions at Test level, had been in intensive care in Sydney's Westmead Hospital for the past 17 days fighting kidney failure and lupus. On Thursday it was announced the 64-year-old had sadly...

www.sportingnews.com

 

[kos]

RIP Champion.
Watched the Big o many times playing for the Tigers.
And carving up the Kangaroos at Carlaw Park in the mid 80,s.
Gone way too early.

 

[Wrighty]

I discovered after making this thread there is a parallel discussion in another thread about Olsen passing.
However I feel very strongly that Olsen deserves his own thread. I feel emotional about that point. Even if it only gets a few posts due to duplication of thoughts.

 

[scree]

I know very little about him, but seeing his highlights and hearing about what he went through, it makes David Tua's "O for Olsen" make perfect sense as a tribute to someone a lot of people looked up to. Sad that the quote was misheard and joked about, when he was really paying tribute to this legend. Is there a Hall of Fame for the Kiwis?

 

[Hardyman's Yugo]

Remember him well and thinking, how is a bloke who is not a first grade regular able to tear holes like he did in the GB defence. He was unplayable on his day, his trademark bump style of breaking a tackle, as well as crunching defence. Great big game player and sounds like an extremely decent bloke with it. RIP

 

[Dixpat]

'The real mayor of Māngere': League superstar and loving grandad Olsen Filipaina farewelled at Leichhardt Oval

'The Big O' was a loving grandfather with a big smile but as a league star he was idolised by almost everyone, including the late Jonah Lomu.

i.stuff.co.nz

 

[Rizzah]