Brad Arthur’s Maika Sivo prediction that will put Super League on notice
Maika Sivo scored twice on his Leeds Rhinos debut.
Brad Arthur believes Maika Sivo’s best rugby is ahead of him after an outstanding Leeds Rhinos debut.
The winger made his long-awaited debut after missing the entirety of 2025 with an ACL injury and quickly got up to speed as he was named man of the match after a two-try display in the victory over York Knights.
That said, Arthur, who coached Sivo during a prolific try-scoring spell at Parramatta Eels, believes there is still a lot more to come from the Fijian superstar after admitting he sensed nerves from the winger before the game.
“I haven’t seen him like that,” Arthur said. “I’ve coached him pretty much his whole career and I haven’t seen him nervous which is good, it shows you how important the game was to him and how much he cared.
“He was tired, he was out on his feet and he’’s way more to give than that but that first try shows you why we brought him here because he still had a lot of work to do there. He’s so physically nice and strong.
“His best footy is still five to ten weeks away I reckon. He can turn those half-chances or 25% chances into tries and in big games that’s what you need.”
Arthur added: “I was nervous for him. He hasn’t played a game, every decision I make has an effect on the club so I just had to trust what he said and the guys around him who said he was ready. I could see how nervous he was before the game, they put that first kick up to him, he got that first catch and got physical in there and I think that’s all he needed. I was just so happy for him.”
Sivo will now travel to Las Vegas as part of the Rhinos’ travelling squad for the clash with Hull KR.
