Super League is an underrated competition, insists Kevin Naiqama
Photo courtesy of Richard Long
St Helens star Kevin Naiqama believes Super League doesn’t get the credit it deserves from overseas.
The 30-year-old arrived at the Totally Wicked Stadium on a three-year deal in the off-season, having scored 47 tries in 102 NRL appearances for Newcastle Knights, Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers.
Naiqama says that it was an easy decision to join the competition, adding that pre-season has shown him exactly why the English game is so exciting.
“I was coming off-contract in the NRL last year and there was the opportunity to come over here to compete in a competition which I think is very strong and probably doesn’t get the credibility it deserves,” the Fiji captain told loverugbyleague.com.
“It was a no-brainer for me. I’ve always had a deep desire to come and play over here from when I was very young.
“I wanted to come over here and it was really timely with my contract ending [with Wests Tigers].”
Naiqama has had a stop-start to life in Merseyside, scoring two minutes into his league debut against Wigan, before being forced to miss their most recent game against Salford after being concussed against Leeds the week prior.
Despite this, the three-quarter is looking forward to getting up to speed and playing his part as the Saints go in search of their sixth Super League title.
When discussing how his move came about, Naiqama added: “St Helens came as one of the offers, it’s a very proud and historic club and a club that you hear about back in Australia, so I wanted to be a part of that.
“After getting to know the rest of the players, I’m glad I made that decision. They’ve obviously recruited me for a reason, and I want to go and repay the faith that they put in me.
“The coaching staff have been great so far. I couldn’t put anyone at fault and it has definitely helped me continue to grow as a player, which is what I wanted to do.
“My first focus is on doing my best for the team and contributing to helping us to be the best team that we can be.”