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Standing Tall – The Tawera Nikau Story, Richard Becht
HarperCollins
Reviewed by Glenn McLean (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

It would have been easy for Tawera Nikau to leave just a few words to his late wife inside the opening pages of his biography. Instead, like the man himself, he hides nothing.

There is no false recollection, just a detailed account of how his life changed on 5 April, 2001, the day Letitia Nikau walked into the family shed and hung herself.

For anyone who skims a book's opening pages to see if it's worth reading, the opening chapter may give an impression that the Nikau story is just one of sadness, gloom and despair. Adding to that theory would be the unmistakable peg leg snugly tucked into the right trainer on the front cover. This, after all, is a man some would rate as one of the most unlucky around.

Not Nikau though. The hero of Huntly has surely seen more adversity than most. But he can also stake a claim to being one of the most successful professional league players ever to come out of New Zealand. Anyone who can play 19 tests for his country, as well as being a stand-out player in four different sides in Great Britain and Australia, isn't half bad.

Most would remember Nikau as the mullet man. But there is more to him than just a bad haircut.

His story portrays a loving father, a family man, a man who has earned respect in both hemispheres. Sure, you probably need to have a small liking for league to appreciate this tale, but there is enough inspiration in it for everyone.