John Hopoate has opened up on his son Jamil’s imprisonment while also speaking about Will’s rise as his eldest son prepares to take on the Panthers in the World Club Challenge.
Jamil was sent to jail after being arrested during a police sting in May 2021, after he was caught attempting to deliver eight kilograms of cocaine.
The 28-year-old, who played 12 games for the Broncos in 2020, is eligible for parole in July 2024 according to the SMH.
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John revealed that Jamil recently spoke to Will, who has been named in the centres for St Helens, and is hoping to watch the game.
“I’ve always told my kids ‘I’m the crash-test dummy’, and what I’ve done is for you guys to see, so you don’t follow me,” Hopoate said to the Herald.
“They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and when it comes to my second son, Jamil, he fell in my lap. He’s in jail now.
“If he’s allowed to watch the game on Saturday, I know it will give him a boost. He would love to see his brother succeed. Will spoke to Jamil last Saturday … and even that was a boost for him. Hopefully he can turn his life around.
“Jamil was meant to play first grade at 18, but got locked up for a year. He came back, bided his time, now he’s in jail again. He’s out next July, which is a massive win for us because we were told he was looking at five to eight years.
“I still wanted him to get something, so it would teach him a lesson. But Will has lifted everyone from the start. All the boys wanted to be like Will. He played NRL at 18, Origin when he was 19, and his brothers have always aspired to be like him.”
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John himself played for NSW and Australia, winning a premiership in 1996 with Manly — but 45 weeks of combined suspensions hampered his playing career.
Hopoate also is serving the back-end of a five-year ban for his part in an altercation at a local rugby league game, however he is still able to attend games his children are playing in and will be in attendance on Saturday at BlueBet Stadium.
“As a parent, you want nothing but the best for your kids,” Hopoate said.
“I won a grand final, played for NSW and Australia, and won an Australian title in boxing, but it does not come close to seeing your kids accomplish something.
“Will could have stayed in the NRL, he had offers from three clubs for similar money, but he wanted to travel. He is 100 times better than me.
“He was actually a bit hopeless as a kid. It wasn’t until he was about 12 or 13, he went to America, came back and shot up, and improved out of sight.”
