LIU’S AT TOP OF PECKING ORDER
The Keebra Park kid who became one of the Roosters main men in push for the NRL crown
THIS Iceman has become the top Rooster.
Isaac Liu, the man known as Ice around the Bondi club, has really stood tall in recent months, even to the point he has made the starting No.13 jersey his own and upstaged some of his higher-profile superstar teammates.
Coach Trent Robinson and skipper Boyd Cordner had been so impressed with Liu leading into the NRL finals, they pulled him aside and reminded him how important he was to the team.
And Liu, 26, said those wraps had inspired him to roar out of the blocks against Brisbane – and will now make it easy to lift again against North Queensland tomorrow night.
“We had finished training one day and I was about to walk out when Robbo came up to me and told me how well I’d been playing and how happy he was with me,’’ the Keebra Park State High product said.
“He was telling me how him and Boyd had chatted and the leaders were really happy with the way I was playing.
“He said, ‘You mean a lot to the team and we love having you hear, so keep doing what you’re doing’.
“I took that all in, and to hear that from the coach and to hear from Boyd, that stayed in the back of my mind. I now need to try to get better again.’’
Liu was elevated to the No.13 jersey in Round 18, with Sio Siua Taukeiaho praising “Ice’’ for making it so difficult to win back his own starting spot.
“Ice is doing all the onepercenters, he’s getting the good play-the-balls, making linebreaks,’’ Taukeiaho said.
“He doesn’t get mentioned often but to us players here at the Roosters, he means a lot – he’s one of those players you love to have in your team.
“He’s really quiet but he trains the house down, he’s competitive and made me work harder.
“You can get to a point when you’re in that No.13 and you can get comfortable, then you peek around the corner and you see Isaac who’s there to take that jersey off you.
“It only challenges you and keeps you moving.
“Isaac deserves to keep that No.13 jersey.’’
Liu is yet another member of the Keebra Park alumni and featured in the school’s 2009 Arrive Alive Cup grand final win over Matraville.
Benji Marshall, Jordan Kahu, Te Maire Martin and Corey Norman are just some of the graduates from the Gold Coast school.