Twelve months ago, Josh Mantellato was at home in Newcastle, New South Wales, cheering for Leeds to win the Challenge Cup, “because they’d lost a few finals”. On Saturday, the former pastry chef presents the Rhinos with one of their more formidable obstacles to making it successive Wembley triumphs.
Mantellato has been a point-scoring phenomenon for Hull Kingston Rovers, having contributed five tries and 22 goals in the club’s run to their first cup final for 29 years. The Australian’s marksmanship off the kicking tee has been matched by his prolific scoring on the wing in rattling up almost 200 points in the First Utility Super League this season.
He once wielded knives, peelers and spatulas with similar precision in a bakery and cafe on Australia’s Central Coast, and took a pastry apprenticeship after school when it looked like a professional rugby league career would not work out.
“My boss was a father figure and loved that I was so passionate about my rugby,” Mantellato said. “I could have been the second best pastry chef in the country. It was never a passion of mine, but I was alright at it. I got out of it, though, to do personal training, which I could relate to more.”
Persistence after years in the amateur ranks eventually paid off when he made his NRL debut for Newcastle Knights at 26, although by that time he was an international player for Italy.
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“I made my Italy debut in 2010 after playing in an amateur match against Paul Franze [a former Italy international], who knew I had Italian heritage and put me in touch with Italy’s coach, Carlo Napolitano,” he said.
“The reason I went to Newcastle Knights, we’d qualified for the 2013 World Cup and I needed to be playing at a higher level. It’s fair to say that at 28 I’m a late developer in the sport. When I was younger I maybe lacked the confidence. I never played in representative teams growing up. My first was when I was 23.
“You start work, start earning. It’s a bit surreal really. Two years ago, I made my NRL debut and here I am today. It’s nice to know when you set goals and sacrifice, you can achieving anything.”
Mantellato first came to the British game’s attention with the winning dropped goal in Italy’s unlikely pre-World Cup defeat of England two years ago. He has flourished in his first season at Rovers and shared in the tears that accompanied the semi-final victory over Warrington Wolves four weeks ago to reach Wembley.
“The sixth-round win at Wigan really set us on course in the tournament and proved to us and the rest of the league that we could go all the way to Wembley,” he said. “We put so much into that match and the Warrington one, it was really emotional to think what we’d achieved for our diehard fans as well. They were all crying, too.
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“There were tears from a lot of the boys in the dressing room. That’s the kind of group we’ve got. We’re really passionate about the sport, passionate about the cup and to repay our fans and everyone.
“This time last year, I was actually going for Leeds against Castleford, because they’d lost a few finals and because Danny Buderus is from Newcastle Knights and used to play for Leeds. He told me all about the cup when I signed here. He said it was massive and, if I had the opportunity, just to go for it.”
• Hull KR have named Albert Kelly in their squad for the final, despite the scrum half having not played since the semi-final defeat of Warrington Wolves four weeks ago because of a knee ligament injury. Kelly, 29, looks certain to play if he is passed fit today.