Kiwis player award for RTS
play footy and change his ways in every aspect. Hopefully he can learn from it, he spent his 21st inside and it’s hard to see him go through it.’’
Pulu, meanwhile, has settled smoothly into the Warriors and his worth ethic has left a big impression on Stephen Kearney.
The upcoming trials against the Storm and Titans will go a long way in determining the team to start the season against South Sydney on March 10, but Pulu is clearly in the coach’s plans.
‘‘Leivaha’s been great, he’s brought a wonderful energy with him and is really determined to do well,’’ Kearney said.
‘‘The pre-season that he’s had, he’s given himself every opportunity to be part of the 17 for round one. There’s a couple of individuals in the group that have done that and he’s put himself right in the picture.’’
With only 45 NRL appearances behind him, Pulu is still developing his game.
But at 1.92m-tall and 111kg, the Marist Saints junior could be the damaging edge back-rower the Warriors have been looking for.
But Pulu is not looking too far ahead.
‘‘I want to earn the trust and respect from the boys on the training field before anything else. I’ll just keep working hard and try to excel wherever I’m needed.’’ ROGER Tuivasa-Sheck has been named the Kiwis player of the year at the New Zealand Rugby League annual awards last night.
The Kiwis and Warriors fullback ended the 2017 World Cup with the equal most tries scored (three), the most carries (72) and the most metres carried (626) for the Kiwis.
Coach David Kidwell says such achievements were no small feat considering Tuivasa-Sheck had recently returned from a serious knee injury.
‘‘In some cases, it takes a fair amount of time for a player to get back to fine form following such a serious injury, but Roger did everything right and ultimately showed great leadership at the back,’’ Kidwell said.
‘‘He’s a quality young man who was a pleasure to coach and I congratulate him for his impressive performances throughout the NRL season and at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.’’
Nelson Asofa- Solomona was the Kiwis rookie of the year.
Kiwi Ferns fullback Apii Nicholls-Pualau claimed the women’s player of the year award.
‘‘I’m honoured to even be considered alongside players such as Teuila Fotu-Moala and Krystal Rota, let alone to win this award,’’ she said. ‘‘There are a lot of people I have to thank for their on-going support including my incredible family – without them there is no way I could have dedicated as much time as I did to the sport I love.’’
Isaiah Papali’i was the junior player of the year.
Meanwhile, the NRL players’ union has raised concerns over the welfare of its members if a proposed test match between England and New Zealand goes ahead in the United States.
Plans are well established for the international in Denver on the same weekend as the standalone State of Origin match on June 24, with an official announcement potentially just days away.
While the Rugby League Players’ Association (RLPA) supports the growth of the international game, there are concerns about player workload, insurance and injury that come with taking the NRL’s elite for an overseas test in the middle of an already crammed season.
‘‘In relation to the proposed Denver test match in June, we have a duty to our members to ensure that they understand and are comfortable with the measures that are in place,’’ said Clint Newton, RLPA general manager of player relations.
‘‘We have had several discussions with NZRL and Nigel Wood from the RLIF regarding this fixture.
‘‘During these exchanges we raised our concerns regarding various issues associated with the test and asked for clarity on these areas.’’