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14 | THE REVIEW MAY–AUG 2023 Making an impact on and off the field Seeing someone get “smashed” on the rugby league field leads to Daley Manu’s dream becoming a reality. By MELANIE LOUDEN Daley Manu has achieved his dream. In fact, he’s achieved a number of them. So now he’s helping others reach theirs. The 34-year-old plays rugby league for Whutupōro Rīki Whaikaha o Aotearoa - Physical Disability Rugby League NZ (PDRLNZ). He’s also a graphic designer, owns a clothing label, runs a non-profit organisation, has worked as a mentor in youth justice, and he’s a loving husband and committed father. Next on his list is to establish a young men’s mentoring programme where he can “help them think outside the box to solve life’s problems”. Daley was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was an infant after he missed developmental milestones. “I accepted CP at a very young age, and felt there was no satisfaction or fulfillment in seeking out the cause of my CP. I only see it as God’s plan for me, as without CP I would not be the person I am today, the person my wife fell in love with or the person my son calls Dad.” Despite a love of rugby league that saw him playing with his brother and friends in the backyard as a young lad, Daley’s entry into a league team came later in life. Growing up with Cerebral Palsy, which affects his leg muscles, common sense told him “it wouldn’t be the brightest idea for me to put my small fragile frame through rugby league games”. His family was very supportive, always telling him “you can do anything you put your mind to”, and an uncle who would always tell him, “hey boy, you will be on that field one day”. “One day” came in 2018, not long after the then 30-year- old Tokoroa resident stumbled