Junior Naufahu has coached his last game for Footscray in the Victorian Rugby Union.
The revered Naufahu will leave the post after a decorated six-year
stint as both player and coach, but will remain in an unofficial
capacity.
“He’s got a growing family and other things to tend to,” Bulldogs captain Allan Imo said.
Naufahu will be remembered as one of the few star players to stick
with the Bulldogs when they were relegated to the second tier three
years ago.
He led them back to premier 1 as a player and took them to consecutive top-level finals campaigns as coach.
“The club owes him a great deal,” Imo said.
“When we had a mass exodus of players wanting to play in the
premier division, Junior was one of the few players who stuck behind and
took it upon themselves to bring the club back to the premier
division.”
Naufahu was a product of the famed Mount Albert Grammar School in
his home town of Auckland. The school has produced union and league
superstars, including a number of current All Blacks and NRL players.
