Scarily, Parramatta coach Brad Arthur predicts Fijian flyer Maika Sivo is only going to get better.
Despite only making his debut in round one, the powerhouse winger is on course to top the NRL’s try scorer list this year with a leading tally of 15 four-pointers through 20 rounds.
His strength, power and agility were on show in Sunday’s 12-4 defeat of St George Illawarra, scoring one try and running for a game-high 177 metres.
It was a vital performance which would have left many Eels fans wondering who needs Semi Radradra.
Fellow Fijian and ex-Eel Radradra is reportedly seeking a return to the NRL after becoming restless in French rugby union.
The western Sydney club have naturally been linked to him given he retains cult status amongst their fans.
But given Sivo has plugged the hole left by Radradra’s departure two years ago, it appears they don’t need his services.
Sivo has one year remaining on his deal and it’s been reported he is on the verge of re-signing on an upgraded three-year contract, though he said he was undecided about his future beyond 2020.
Arthur said Sivo still hadn’t tapped his best given he had an injury interrupted pre-season and with another summer slog under his belt, predicted he could take his game even further.
“We only had three or four weeks with him in the pre-season because he had a full shoulder reconstruction,” Arthur said.
“His fitness – he probably needs to work on and improve that. He’s going to be better off the back of a pre-season.
“He’s done really well, he understands the game pretty well. Today I thought he was good defensively. He’s been good with the ball but there’s a couple of things we’ve been working on with him.
“The good thing is he does what you ask him to do.”
Sivo came to Australia via a stint in bush footy in Gundagai in central NSW before playing in the lower grades at Penrith.
The Eels took a punt on him which is now paying handsome dividends.
Asked if he can believe how far he’s come in such a short time, the quietly-spoken Sivo said: “At the start of the year, I was struggling, I was bit nervous too.
“But I feel comfortable outside Jenko (Michael Jennings).
“Sometimes I still feel think about how hard it was, I come from a long way from here.
“Now, I’m happy to be a first grade footballer.”