Niuia grateful for opportunity with Turbos
Manawatu¯ Turbos hooker Ray Niuia has ticked off World Cup qualification and a Super Rugby title this year, now he hopes to add a provincial championship as well.
Niuia, 30, has made a good impact since joining the Turbos this season and his experience has been a welcome boost.
The nomadic hooker maintains his starting spot to play Taranaki in Inglewood today and is now the main man in the No 2 jersey after Siua Maile left for Europe with the Tonga squad. Niuia has played for the Highlanders, Blues, North
Harbour and Tasman, as well as 13 tests for Samoa.
Manawatu¯ lost 36-16 to Wellington last week and Niuia said they had flushed that performance and were up for another tough challenge against Taranaki. He expected Taranaki to have extra motivation after former player Sean Wainui died in a car crash this week.
‘‘They have got something to play for,’’ Niuia said. ‘‘One of their bros passed away, so it is going to be a hectic fight for us, especially at their home ground. But we are up for it and ready to go.’’
He did not know Wainui but had played against him. ‘‘Even though we didn’t have that relationship, he is still one of the rugby brothers, a big part of the rugby community, and when one of us falls we all feel it,’’ Niuia said.
Manawatu¯ have secured a spot in the semifinals but have tough games against Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay before the playoffs.
Niuia said they had not been getting ahead of themselves – he only realised yesterday they had qualified for the semifinals – but wanted to put some pride in the jersey. ‘‘There is definitely something to play for.’’
If the Turbos can win something, it will cap off a good year for Niuia after he was in the Blues squad who won the TransTasman Super Rugby final against the Highlanders. Niuia went to Massey High School in Auckland and debuted for North Harbour in 2013, playing four seasons before injuring his knee in 2016.
Once he recovered, he joined Tasman for three years in 2017 and was with the Highlanders in 2019.
He signed for the Blues last year, then injured his other knee at the start of last season but recovered in time for the last two games of Super Rugby this year.
His international debut was against the United States in 2018 and he was part of the 2019 World Cup in Japan. He played for Samoa earlier this year in two World Cup qualifiers against Tonga, which they won, and the New Zealand
Ma¯ ori side. A chance to join Manawatu¯ came up and he received some subtle hints from former Turbos prop Michael Alaalatoa, who was also playing for Samoa. ‘‘I am grateful for the opportunity.’’ He has not finalised a Super Rugby deal for next year but is hopeful of doing so.
In Maile’s absence, youngster Ben Strang will deputise on the bench against Taranaki this weekend. In the only change to the starting team, wing Ed Fidow comes in after a family bereavement so Taniela Filimone drops out of the 23. On the bench, lock Veikoso Poloniati replaces Ofa Tauatevalu and midfielder James Tofa replaces Drew Wild.