Lui-Toso will help cover Pride forward losses
THE Northern Pride have delivered another recruitment coup, landing a much-needed front-row forward from a Sydney based NRL system.
Penrith Panthers prop Nick Lui-Toso, pictured, will join the Pride in 2020, with the 23year-old set to bolster the club’s forward pack following the big losses of Will Bugden, David Murphy and Tom Hancock in 2019.
Despite being contracted to the Panthers until the end of the 2020 season, Lui-Toso was granted an immediate release by the club to join the Pride for their upcoming pre-season in November.
Pride coach Ty Williams said Lui-Toso would bring power through the middle.
“He’s an explosive ball runner, he’s got a bit of a late offload in him and some good footwork as well,” he said.
“We just want to make sure we cover the explosive power through the middle.
“That’s the way the game’s going with the fast-twitch fibres and everybody needs to move quicker over a short distance – and Nick fits that bill perfectly.
“Also, he’s very good defensively.
“He’s not the tallest person but he’s got really good tackle technique about him, which is probably the most impressive thing about Nick.”
Lui-Toso played an impact role off the bench as the Panthers NSW Cup side won the premiership and national championship in 2017.
His strong form as a member of the Panthers NSW Cup side in 2018 and 2019 put him on the cusp of NRL selection several times, however, a toplevel debut still eludes him.
Williams said the 23-yearold had come north chasing a chance with the Cowboys, where he had previously played at an under-20s level in 2016.
The Pride also confirmed the signatures of Joseph Eichner, Steven Tatipata, Matolu Laumea, Tom McGrath and Matthew Musumeci for next season.
Football operations manager Chey Bird said the five players had been rewarded for their growth throughout the season.
“They’ve been impressive in their little spurts that they did have this year,” he said.
“All the coaching staff are really keen to work with all those guys and they’re all quite young, other than Joe, but he’s obviously quite new to the scene as well so his potential’s still fairly untapped.”