There were many doubters when Ardie Savea traded his home-town Hurricanes for the fledgling Moana Pasifika, the Super Rugby outfit that had struggled for results since starting in 2022.
Named recently as Super Rugby's player of the season and with his side in with a shout of reaching the playoffs, those doubters have been well and truly silenced, with loose forward Savea taking his game to the next level.
There have been plenty of plaudits for the 31-year-old's form and the way he's led his men — but it's not come without sacrifice.
Savea's three young children — Kobe, Keeon, and Kove — and wife Saskia have remained in the capital as he shifted north for the season.
Speaking to Breakfast's Jenny-May Clarkson, Savea explained how he navigated being away from his family.
"I had a call last night with a great friend, who I kind of talk to… who gives me wisdom and am able to talk with. I just felt like I’m being this great leader for the people, and kind of feel guilty as I’m not with my family. That’s kind of been the challenge.
"We talk about that things come with a cost — courageous decisions come at a cost — and the cost is actually family time for me.
"My family live in Wellington, my kids are all under the age of seven, and all my time is here. The kids kind of miss that time with their dad, and my wife too."
He said there was no easy solution, but making sure quality time was planned – even if through a screen – and making sure he was fully present when they were together was important.
"It’s challenging. All the light people see on the field, there’s still stuff you don’t see that athletes struggle with."
Savea's form has been inspirational this season — some even drawing comparisons with the great Jonah Lomu — but Savea said he was at peace when making his decision to leave the Hurricanes for Moana. Some felt it could be a backwards step in his career.
Asked why he was playing so well, he pointed to what playing for a team meant with such a proud Pasifika heritage.
"I think it’s a mixture of a lot of things. It is the environment here, everything is centred around our faith, centred around our people, centred around our communities.
"Being the underdog, trying to prove to ourselves we can do great things, I think when you collectively believe in that, you try a bit harder for each other."
He said he felt blessed that his kids were able to see him play at his peak, and reckoned he had at least a couple more seasons in him — music to the ears of Moana and All Blacks fans.
"If my body and my performances are not doing justice to the team I’ll be at peace with that," he told Clarkson.
"I know that every great thing that goes to the top has to come down at some stage. So for me, my mind says while I’ve still got time and I’m blessed every day with this gift, I’m going to give it my all and be prepared when the time has come. Try and plan things outside of that so the transition is easier."
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