KEVIN NAIQAMA OPENS UP ON HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS FUTURE AND ST HELENS RETURN

Veteran Huddersfield star Kevin Naiqama is loving his rugby league so much he hasn’t ruled out playing on again in 2025.

The Fiji international makes his 100th Super League appearance on Thursday, fittingly at St Helens, the club where he had such a stunning impact in the competition. He's scored seven tries in his last seven games and in-form Giants are seeking a sixth straight win. Powerful centre Naiqama, who joined from Sydney Roosters on a two-year deal ahead of last season, turned 35 in February.

But, unsurprisingly, head coach Ian Watson doesn’t want him retiring any time soon. Naiqama revealed: “I have had a meeting with Watto and he has asked about my aspirations beyond this year, whether I am keen to play again.

“We have talked about it and he expressed his interest. He just wanted to know where I was at if I did want to go around again as he does feel I’ve still got another year left in me. I’m not sure yet. Right now I do feel great. I feel mentally and physically well and there’s nothing there suggesting to me I’m slowing down.

“If that means I play on next year it might be the case. But, for now, I’m just really enjoying playing football and this team I’m in.”

After a woeful 2023 when they missed out on the play-offs and slumped to ninth, Huddersfield are firing again. A stunning 34-6 win at beaten Grand Finalists Catalans was the biggest indicator they could be the real deal. But the trip to Saints, where Naiqama famously won three successive Grand Finals before heading home in 2021, is another test of their quality.

He added: “St Helens have obviously been one of the form teams over the past decade and so have Catalans so when you get a win against those sorts of teams you’re definitely considered a threat. We’re getting a lot of confidence from the way we’re playing. We’re excited by the challenge of going to Saints.

“It’s been a while since Huddersfield have won some silverware and that’s one of the main reasons I came back to a different club - winning something with a new club. “On the outside looking in, Huddersfield aren’t a side you think of as someone making finals. And that challenge for me is exciting.

“Last year was very disappointing, especially with the squad we had and it was almost like we had to go through that year with the turnover of players we had to start playing the footy we are now.”

Naiqama scored 39 tries in 77 games for Saints, including two when claiming the Harry Sunderland Trophy in the 2021 Grand Final win over Catalans. That was his 67th Super League appearance as he headed back to the NRL and, given he was approaching his 33rd birthday, he could never have imagined now making his ton. Naiqama admitted: “I didn’t think I’d be returning back after that last season for St Helens.

“And it’s weird that, now, it’s 100 against them - the team I started playing with in the Super League. But we would have stayed with St Helens if not for Covid. It took its toll on me and my wife at that time as it did for everyone who went through it all. We made the decision in January 2021 to go home.

“I had a call with Woolfy [St Helens coach Kristian Woolf] and (St Helens CEO] Mike Rush where I told them our plans to give them plenty of time so it wasn’t all last minute. And, going back home, it was a very healthy year for us to get back to friends and family and be able to get back to doing things we couldn’t before. It was a very redemptive year and a healing one.

“And the body still felt well. The desire and heart to play the game was definitely there. The chance to join Huddersfield came up and here we are. In the last month and a bit we’ve really started to hit our straps and the combinations are starting to form really well. The team’s gelling and we’re excited by what’s ahead but we know we're not getting carried away."

As well as Naiqama is doing down Huddersifeld’s right edge, Cook Islands centre Esan Marsters and ex-Saints winger Adam Swift are causing utter carnage on the left. With 1,314m, Marsters is behind only Warrington’s Matt Dufty in terms of metres made in Super League this term while his 146 carries is third best. He has four league tries, like Naiqama, but Swift is joint-top try-scorer with nine while also racking up 1,139m and nine clean breaks from 137 carries.

Ex-Wests Tigers ace Naiqama said: “They are arguably the best wing/centre pairing in the competition right now and that's off just the first eight rounds. They are two of the best players in our team, a lot of points are being scored through those boys and they have just brought a new lease of life to our attack on that edge.

“They caused a lot of damage to Leeds last week but it’s been their form week in week out and credit to them. They had big pre-seasons and honed in on their craft to be better players and it’s showing on the field. You can add our spine members Cluney, Tui [Lolohea] and Jake [Connor] to that. They have put some form together this last month or so and that’s led to points. They are doing outstanding.”

2024-04-24T17:05:28Z dg43tfdfdgfd