Congratulations to Viliame Kikau for being named in the National Rugby League (NRL) Team of the Year during the Dally M 2021 awards night in Brisbane, Australia.

The Fijian second rower has come a long way to stamp his mark in the NRL and is regarded as one of the highest paid forwards in the game.

His contract is now around FJ$1.5million per season and even top NRL clubs are working on their best offer in trying to lure the Fijian.

Kikau hails from the island of Bau in Tailevu.

He attended Queen Victoria School in Matavatucou, Tailevu North before moving to Marist Brothers High School in Suva.

In 2013, without any rugby league experience, Kikau was playing in a schoolboys’ rugby game when he was scouted by North Queensland Cowboys recruiter, Adrian Thomson.

He was signed up along with six other schoolboys and they spent six weeks in Townsville, north of Queensland in Australia.

Way Forward
Kikau was later the only Fijian player to sign up with the Cowboys and played in the Holden Cup competition in 2014.

He worked hard, listened to his coaches and there was no turning back for the Nausori-born star forward.

On May 2, 2015, he came off the bench to make his international debut for the Vodafone Fijian Bati in their Melanesian Cup 22-10 win over Papua New Guinea at the Robina Stadium.

A month later, Kikau signed a two-year contract with the Penrith Panthers and has been there ever since.

Kikau, is one of the many success stories of our local players who took up rugby league and excelled in the top comp.

Others that have done that included, Noa Nadruku, Sisa Waqa, Marika Koroibete, Suliasi Vunivalu, Tui Kamikamica, Mika Ravalawa, Semi Valemei, Semi Radradra, Eto Nabuli and the list goes on.

Now we’ve got the likes of Vuate Karawalevu, Taniela Sadrugu and Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist, Iosefo Masi, following their footsteps.

Also, with Petero Civoniceva’s Kaiviti Silktails playing in the NSW Cup’s Ron Massey competition, provides our local players a pathway to make it to the premiership division.

This is not only a dream but an opportunity to better their lives and be able to support their families here.

This Sunday, just like last year, Kikau and Api Koroisau are leading the charge for Panthers as they face South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL grandfinal.

A win is all they after to end the 2021 on a much higher note.

Feedback: leonec@fijisun.com.fj