Joe Vagana says tragic Adam Watene will always be remembered as one of life’s good guys.

The Bulls prop admits he was stunned when discovering his big pal and former Odsal team-mate had died suddenly on Monday morning.

Watene, aged only 31, collapsed from a suspected heart attack while training in the gym with his club Wakefield Trinty Wildcats.

Vagana said: “I had to ask the person who rang me if they were saying the right thing.

“I was in a state of disbelief and it didn’t sink in at first. I couldn’t believe it.

“It was not so long before that we were all sat at Willie Poching’s house having a barbecue with all the kids.

“It was just before Adam went on holiday and he was telling us all about what he was going to do in the future.

“It’s so sad and he’s got a young family too so what can you say? Thirty one – it’s too young. It’s such a shame “He was a champion guy, a great father and great husband and that’s how he’ll be remembered – a genuine nice guy. It was so visible.”

Giant Aucklander Watene only spent a little over six months at Bradford before leaving for Wakefield midway through 2006.

With the world’s No1 rated prop Stuart Fielden, Andy Lynch, Aussie Test man Brad Meyers, Vagana himself and a rookie called Sam Burgess, the Bulls were well-served for front-rowers.

But in that time he struck up a firm friendship with fellow New Zealander Vagana and was part of the wider circle of friends incorporating all Super League’s exiled Kiwis and Islanders.

With Poching, Brent Webb and Kylie Leuluai at Leeds, Bulls duo Semi Tadulala and David Solomona – then with Wakefield themselves – and the likes of Awen Guttenbeil at Castleford, it’s a big gathering.

“The rugby was part of it but outside, off the field, we were all good friends,” explained Vagana, 33.

“We’re a family away from family and all got together quite a bit. It was a shock to us all on Monday.

“Adam’s got a young family, away from his homeland and core of his family back in New Zealand and Australia, but when the Lord calls you’ve got to go.

“I’m sure there’s a bigger picture to it all but to the people he’s left behind that’s not too clear yet.

“All we can do as family and friends is gather around and show support.”

Strong-running Watene proved a massive success at Belle Vue where he soon endeared himself to the Trinity faithful, illustrated by the huge show of sympathy from fans in recent days.

“I thought Adam was a bit unlucky at Bradford,” said Vagana. “It took a while for him to get established and get a couple of games but it didn’t go his way.

“It was a blessing in disguise that he ended up going to Wakefield though.

“He became their player of the year the following season and I know when we played them, Adam was always one of the guys we had to try and stop.

“He was big and dangerous for Wildcats and they all loved him. “We’re all going to miss him.”

Meanwhile, recently retired Vagana and his own family are due to leave their Bradford home of eight years and fly back to Auckland next week.