Dolphin gives excess weight the boot
Wayne Bennett says Tesi Niu has rocketed into selection for the NRL premiership after the Dolphins flyer embarked on a booze ban and private boot camp in a bid to save his career.
Niu has become the second Dolphin after teammate Valynce Te Whare to be ordered for one-on-one training sessions in a bid to beat the battle of the bulge.
And Niu has responded superbly to the summer grilling, slashing 7kg from his frame in eight weeks, a conditioning overhaul that underpinned his sizzling three-try haul in last week’s trial defeat of the Central Queensland Capras.
Concerned about Niu’s weight at 103kg, Bennett ordered the Dolphins winger to train under one of Australia’s top personal trainers Mark ‘Chopper’ Burgess, who worked with Te Whare last December.
The former Broncos flyer is now looking sharp at 96kg and is primed to back-up his hattrick heroics when he starts at centre on Sunday in a pre-season trial against the Titans at Sunshine Coast Stadium.
Niu, who played 17 games last season, was in danger of being squeezed out following the off-season signing of Herthe bie Farnworth and Jake Averillo, but Bennett said the 22year-old has turned up the heat in the battle for NRL berths.
“I’ve been really impressed with Tesi,” Bennett said.
“He’s been outstanding in pre-season. He has worked really hard and he’s given me a real headache with selections for our backline for round 1.
“We’ve got more depth in
backs but Tesi is giving himself every chance, I can’t be happier with how he has trained.”
A nuggety centre, winger or fullback, Niu has played 49 NRL games and hopes to chalk up his half century in the Dolphins’ premiership opener against the Cowboys.
There has never been a question about Niu’s talent, but Bennett was concerned his excess bulk could derail a promising NRL career.
Enter ‘Chopper’ Burgess. The former three-time Australian heavyweight amateur boxing champion worked alongside Bennett at the Broncos two decades ago.