Get that Indiha, Eagles
SURFERS Paradise playmaker Indiha Saotui-Huta’s winding sporting journey has brought him back to the club where it all began, just in time to take on its oldest rival.
Saotui-Huta has emerged as the spearhead for the Dolphins attack in his return to Gold Coast rugby, crossing for two tries in three games and setting up the matchwinner from inside centre for Surfers’ maiden victory over Palm Beach Currumbin last week.
It is his rapid acceleration
and deceptive footwork that make the 86kg flyer one of the competition’s toughest players to defend against.
He will be the No.1 target for the Gold Coast Eagles when the out-of-form club journeys to Albert Park for the latest edition of the Coast’s oldest rugby rivalry.
Surfers has lost just one match to the Eagles since 2016, a 27-23 upset last year but only narrowly avoided the clean sweep with a 73rd minute try to split the series at one win each.
The Eagles may be yet to cross the chalk after three weeks but Saotui-Huta said his side knew better than to begin celebrating too early on Ladies Day at the club.
“We’ve looked at their previous scores where they’ve been blown out but I don’t care,” he said..
“I know Eagles are a good side and I know some of their boys.
“If we can go out and enjoy ourselves like we did last week I believe we’ll beat them.”
The 21-year-old won an NRL Schoolboys national championship at fullback in Tom Dearden and Toby Sexton’s PBC team in 2018, having played First XV rugby for New Plymouth Boys High in New Zealand’s famous Super 8 schools competition the previous two seasons.
He starred for the Samoan under-20s in their qualification run to the second division world championships in Spain but missed out when that was cancelled due to COVID-19.
With the world at his feet in 2021, the allure of reuniting with his junior club, coached by former high school coach Rangi Joseph and stocked with old classmates from King’s Christian College, proved too enticing to ignore.
“I last played on the Gold Coast in 2018 but I wanted to come back to my old club,” Saotui-Huta said.
“It’s always good to come back to a group of boys you know and amazing coaches so it made it easy.
“I do miss a bit of league and I do consider going back but the boys here make my decision (to stay) easy.”
PBC will host the Bulls, Bond travels to Helensvale and Coomera hosts undefeated Colleges in other Round 4 first grade clashes.
Gold Coast Eagles have confirmed they will contest a second-grade clash against Surfers after injuries and unavailability forced the club to forfeit the past two weeks.