Rhinos snap up Maika Sivo

Leeds Rhinos have pulled off a huge signing coup with the capture of Fijian international Maika Sivo from NRL side Parramatta Eels on a three year contract. 

Welcome to the Rhinos Maika Sivo

— Leeds Rhinos (@leedsrhinos) October 26, 2024

The try scoring ace will link up with his former Eels boss, Brad Arthur, at the Rhinos having scored a remarkable 104 tries in just 115 appearances in the NRL including 17 tries in 12 games last season. 

Leeds Rhinos Head Coach Brad Arthur said: “I am really pleased to have Maika on board for next season. He is a quality player but most importantly he is a quality person as well. I have watched him grow and improve over recent years and I think the move to Leeds and a new competition in Super League is a perfect opportunity for him. He was loved by the fans at Parramatta and I think the Leeds fans will enjoy watching him, he is the type of player who gets you on your feet when he runs with the ball.”
 
Leeds Rhinos Sporting Director Ian Blease said: “I think this is a fantastic signing, not just for Leeds Rhinos but for the Super League competition, especially in the current market for players from the NRL. Maika is a proven try scorer and he will bring strike to our back line.

"The areas we set out to improve in our backline with our recruitment was having that attacking threat from all areas of the field and having strength in depth. As an example, Ash Handley was outstanding last year, rightly winning our Player of the Year but he had to play through pain for long periods to help the team, we now have the depth to cover for injuries and competition for places that means everyone must bring their best to every single training session.

"I would also like to thank Parramatta Eels for the professional manner in which we have been able to deal with the signing of Maika.”
 
Sivo, 31, says he is looking forward to arriving at AMT Headingley, he said: “I'm looking forward to the challenges ahead and I'm excited at the same time. Me and my family are excited to come over and start a new chapter of our lives with Leeds Rhinos. 
 
“Brad is a big part of who and where I am today. When he flicked me the message to ask if I wanted to come to Leeds, I said ‘I'm coming’! He helped me along the way with my footy career and he's very close to my family too.  It was a big decision for me and my partner to come to the other side of the world. We were talking about it but straight away we were excited for the challenge ahead and we're looking forward to it.”
 
Sivo has played his entire senior career at Parramatta over the last six seasons and was pleased to see that the Eels and Rhinos share similar colours, he remarked: “Parramatta will always have a very special place in my heart because of what the club has given me for a long time.  I always said I wouldn't wear any other colours and I can keep that promise at Leeds Rhinos!”
 
The Fiji international says having England Test players Ash Handley and Ryan Hall at the Rhinos too will hopefully bring the best out of all three players. He added: “Ash and Ryan are very classy wingers who have played for their country and I am sure I can learn things off them and at the same time it will be a good competition for all of us for those two wing spots.”
 
The winger is eagerly anticipating to playing in front of the Rhinos crowds too as someone who thrives off the big game atmospheres and having already experienced AMT Headingley once before, he added: “I was speaking to some of the guys in the Fiji camp who play over in the Super League and they said the crowd doesn’t stop making noise from the first minute to the last minute. I'm looking forward to it.

"I can't wait to get to Leeds and meet the fans. I enjoyed playing at AMT Headingley back at the World Cup in 2022. It was the first game at the World Cup and my first time in England too.”