Leeds Rhinos new boy Maika Sivo out to complete journey from novice to rugby league summit

The Fijian moved halfway around the world in the off-season after swapping Parramatta Eels for Leeds Rhinos to continue his awe-inspiring journey in the sport.

Sivo left his homeland for Australia 10 years ago following a chance meeting with a couple from a small country town called Gundagai.

Rugby union was all Sivo had ever known and it took a while for the Momi native to get to grips with the rules in the 13-man code, to the extent that Michael Jennings would coach him through games in his early days at the Eels.

In his first pre-season, Sivo was so confused that he would get tackled to the ground and put the ball behind him as if he was playing union.

"That's true," he said with a smile. "I did it a few times.

"When I started, I had no idea what the rules were. I played rugby union before moving over to Australia in 2015 so I was on the ground offloading sometimes.

"I'm grateful for the journey I've been on. It's been a hard journey, playing every grade in Australia – country footy, Sydney Shield, Ron Massey, New South Wales Cup and then NRL.

"It's been good and enjoyable so far. I've come a long way since I first started."

Sivo comes across as a quiet, unassuming character but once he crosses the white line, he is box office.

The winger became an instant cult hero for Parramatta, topping the tryscoring chart in his debut NRL season in 2019 with 22 in 25 games.

Sivo got his first taste of a Grand Final in 2022 and ended his time at Parramatta with 104 tries in 115 matches.

"I didn't know that, hey," he laughed when the subject changed to his record of almost a try per game.

"It would be good to have the same success over here. Playing on the wing, it's our job to score tries. It'd be good to score a few this year.

"When you play in front of passionate fans like the ones at Headingley, they bring the energy every game and we need to entertain them."

Sivo will line up on the opposite flank to club legend Ryan Hall, the scorer of 233 tries in 330 games during his first spell at Headingley.

In Sivo and Hall, the Rhinos have two wingers capable of wreaking havoc at both ends of the field.

"His record speaks for itself," said Sivo on Hall.

"He's played over 400 games and has done it all in his career. Especially in my position, it's good to be able to learn from somebody like him.

"We're both big bodies – 100-plus kilograms. I'd rather play with him than against him because he's a very strong player."

Sivo's power has never been in question but as a player he is unrecognisable from the version that first arrived at Parramatta, thanks in no small part to Brad Arthur's guidance.

Arthur was the coach who introduced Sivo to the NRL and a major selling point when it came to joining Leeds.

"I like his honesty," said Sivo.

"I haven't been coached by anyone else other than him – I've been with him for six years. This is my seventh year.

"He'll tell you straight what you need to do. He's been a big part of my journey.

"It's good to have him as my coach."

Sivo and Arthur fell short against Penrith Panthers in the 2022 NRL decider but they have the opportunity to lay those Grand Final ghosts to rest in Super League.

Although the Rhinos are not among the pre-season favourites for the title, there is fresh optimism of a brighter season under no-nonsense Australian Arthur.

For Sivo, the goal is to top his achievements in the NRL.

"I think the best is yet to come," said the Fiji international.

"I'm just enjoying every moment over here. It would mean a lot to have success on this side of the world.

"My big dream is to win a Grand Final. It would be good to do it here."

If things do not go to plan in Super League, Sivo will always have the Challenge Cup.

"I didn't know there are two different comps, hey," he added.

"That's real good. We'll take it week by week and hopefully we get to play in those big games."