FIJIAN CLASH IS ONE TO SAVOUR, SAYS GROTHE
FORMERF Eels and nd Kangaroos winger Eric Ggrotheth hhas claimed he will soon be dethroned by Maika Sivo as the greatest winger in Parramatta’s 72-year history.
Grothe – an NRL and Parramatta Hall of Fame legend – said Sivo “could be anything”.
Grothe’s comments will kickstart a sensational build-up to Sivo’s highlyanticipated one-on-one confrontation with Melbourne’s Suliasi Vunivalu in Saturday night’s elimination final at AAMI Park. This will be Fijian footy at its finest.
The Sivo-vunivalu match-up comes as Eric Grothe junior – also a former Parramattamatta and NSW winger – took to social media to post: “If I’m a Melbourne winger this week I’m packing extra undies #Sivosmash.”
In his first season of NRL, Sivo has scored 22 tries, including a double in Parramatta’s record-breaking 58-0 win over Brisbane last Sunday at Bankwest Stadium.
It prompted Grothe senior to claim
Sivo would one day become the Eels’ finest winger.
“He can rise to the top and be the best ever, absolutely,” said Grothe, without doubt Parramatta’s best-ever winger. “He is something special. He’s amazing, isn’t he?
“I didn’t think anyone could be as good as Semi Radradra but Sivo is certainly up there.”
Sivo has quickly become a cult figure and hero at Parramatta. The ‘Sivo, Sivo, Sivo’ chant on Sunday was loud and proud from adoring Eels fans.
“It’s still early days but he is certainly an excitement machine,” said former long-serving Parramatta chief executive Denis Fitzgerald.
“To have the crowd launch into a chat ‘Sivo, Sivo’ when we’re all used to the SLIPPERY EEL: Maika Sivo. ‘Parra, Parra’ chant – it’s sensational, the noise that reverberates around Bankwest Stadium.
“He could well be our best-ever winger but he needs to continue improving and scoring plenty of tries. And based on Sunday’s effort against Brisbane, you’d like to think Parramatta will score plenty of tries over the next five years.”
Sivo has scored 22 tries in just 24 NRL games this season. He has made 27 line breaks, just one behind the NRL’S best, Roosters fullback James Tedesco, and completed 75 tackle busts.
— Dean Ritchie