Mate's wrap seals deal for Likiliki


Tongan born Siuatonga Likiliki has been recruited to play for the Gold Coast Titans in the 2014 NRL season. Siuatonga Likiliki with twins Kruz and Paxton and fiance Rhiannon Devlin at Burleigh Heads beach. Pic: Brendan Radke

TITANS recruit Siuatonga Likiliki will use childhood mate Mark Ioane as inspiration as he attempts to carve out a Gold Coast career.

A former National Youth Competition team of the year member who helped the Warriors to an NYC title with Ioane as a teammate, Likiliki had hoped to fast-track his NRL career with Newcastle two seasons ago.

But recovering from a knee reconstruction in 2012, the hulking centre failed to hit his straps, adding just two NRL games to his 2010 debut match with the Warriors.

So when the Titans approached him earlier this year, Likiliki jumped at the opportunity to head to the Coast after watching Ioane impress with the Titans.

"At Newcastle I was just playing reserves (NSW Cup) and the Gold Coast just approached me and I thought I might get a shot up here and I'm just looking for an opportunity," Likiliki, 23, said.

"That's all it was."

It's a situation Ioane faced last year when he linked with the Titans on a one-year deal that he turned into seven senior games and a two-year extension. And he backs Likiliki to do the same.

"He's got that training ability where he will do anything he can to make the team," Ioane said of a player he has watched at close quarters since the pair faced off in opposing junior teams in Auckland from the age of nine.

"(The Knights) had players that were playing to the best of their ability, which led them to a semi-final. He just didn't really have that chance to get back in first grade and cement his spot."

Likiliki said he asked Ioane for advice about the Titans before committing to the Coast.

"I spoke with him and he said 'Gold Coast's the place to be'," he said, adding that Ioane had given a glowing assessment of coach John Cartwright's program.

"I told him it's the best club I've been to and been a part of and I just recommended it as a club that would treat you fairly on your playing ability," Ioane said.

"If you're playing well, you'll get your chance to shine. I found that.

"Carty gives chances to players that put in the effort and put in the performances consistently."

A centre or winger, Likiliki is likely to face stiff competition for a starting spot with former Storm three-quarter Maurice Blair arriving on the Coast next year and Jamal Idris back after suffering a broken leg and dislocated ankle.

"You can challenge each other and it gets the best out of you," he said of the competition.

The young father today heads to New Zealand to link with the Tongan World Cup team after helping his fiancee Rhiannon Devlin and twins Paxton and Kruz settle on the Gold Coast.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/...st-titans.html