MAIKA SIVO showed on debut why Leeds Rhinos signed him more than a year ago – and coach Brad Arthur reckons he’ll only get better in the weeks to come.
The veteran NRL winger marked his long-awaited first competitive appearance after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament rupture by scoring two tries in Leeds’ 46-14 victory over York Knights.
“He was nervous. I’ve not seen him like that,” admitted Arthur.
“I’ve coached him for nearly all his career (they were previously together at Parramatta) and never seen him nervous. It shows how much it means to him.
“He was tired and out on his feet, but he’s got way more to go.
“That first try shows why we brought him here. It still took some scoring. He can turn those 25 percent chances into tries. In big games that’s what you need.
“His best footy is still five-to-ten weeks away.”
It wasn’t just Sivo who was anxious, with Arthur adding: “Of course I was nervous for him.
“Was it the right time to put him out? He hadn’t played a game. I just had to trust what he said and the guys around him.
“He got that first catch and got quite physical in there. That’s all he needed.
“I’m just so happy for him. We challenged him on his weight and set some goals and he’s made them all.
“He’s just a good person, a good bloke, likeable and happy to be around.”
It was a dominant night for Leeds but Arthur wasn’t impressed by their defence.
“I was really happy with 75 minutes,” he said.
“But in the last five minutes there’s a twelve-point swing. We should have scored – and then we conceded.
“Our defence is not where it needs to be. We’re not making them work hard enough against us. It’s not up to standard.
“But it’s round two. It’s given us something to work on.”