Maika Sivo is "too good" to remain in reserve grade for long but may still need to wait a few more weeks for the chance to return to Parramatta's NRL side, says coach Brad Arthur.
Sivo is preparing to play NSW Cup for a second consecutive weekend, having been dropped after Parramatta lost back-to-back games earlier this month.
After last Saturday's first-grade defeat of North Queensland, Arthur was pleased with the efforts of replacement winger Bailey Simonsson, who withstood extra attention from the Cowboys' attack on a new-look left edge.
Sivo's axing continued a turbulent season thus far for the Fiji international, rubbed out of the first three games through a suspension incurred during a trial game.
But Sivo is beginning to show Arthur he is ready for a first-grade recall.
"He is taking it really well," Arthur said.
"He's training well, he's leaned up a little bit. He just needs to continue to do that for a few weeks, and then he's got to wait for an opportunity.
"He is too good of a player to be playing reserve grade but we have standards that he along with everyone else needs to meet.
"When you are not winning, sometimes it's taken out of my hands. I need to force change to get change."
Arthur saw more desire from Sivo as he scored two tries in Parramatta's NSW Cup defeat of North Sydney last weekend, and wants to see the 30-year-old sustain that competitive edge.
"His effort on effort was better," Arthur said of Sivo's latest performance.
"We need competition for spots, we need people to feel the pressure and then be able to deliver under that pressure."
Sivo has done some of his best work for the Eels playing on Dylan Brown's left edge and the playmaker believed high standards came with the territory of being an elite winger.
"If (Sivo) doesn't play to that then Brad obviously doesn't want to choose him," Brown said.
"It's nothing against him, it's not like he's a bad person or anything bad has happened, it's just we know what he's capable of and Brad's obviously given him a kick up the arse and said, 'We want to see that'.
"Our team's better when he's in it and we want him back at his best."
Brown said returning from suspension into first grade came with challenges, not least because wingers have a bigger role than ever in the modern game.
"To come straight back and get straight back into it, it's pretty tough to come straight back at 100 per cent," Brown said.
"Wingers, it's getting tougher and tougher now, they've got to run into the line just as hard as forwards do and at the same time are expected to execute almost every time the ball comes their way.
"It's a big role."
Replies
The Sivo style of winger, the kind that massively increases your chance of scoring if and when your team finds themselves inside the 20 is out of fashion, replaced by super fit metre eater style wingers. Sivo can't be that. Not sure if he can come back.
Personally I didn't see any effort on effort play last week. His carry's may have been a bit better but if it was nrl game where opposition have better line speed, he would have been driven back like normal. Defensively he was very slow responding to threats by jamming and than didn't care if the ball went passed him as he did his usual slow jog back.
I hope he comes back like the Maika we saw in 2022. But I've seen nothing in over a year to suggest he can.
His running technique has changed and he needs to fix that. On kick returns he needs to work on lowering his centre of gravity prior to contact, aim at running through the line. He seems to be able to do that when he has half a chance at scoring a try close to the line.
Currently on his hitups he's too upright and often turns sideways at contact. So the moment he contacts the defence all he can do is attempt to drop the ground as quick as possible. Good defence will hold him up and drive him back. I saw the exact same thing happen to Lote Tuquiri in his final season. It's either psychological or he's physically no longer capable. Either way he needs to get it right.
Also needs to work on his play the balls. It feels like they are the slowest in the comp.
Than in defence, he needs to sprint when jamming. Maybe he is scared since his suspension, but he is so slow when jamming that the player gets the pass away regardless. Then his turn and chase whenever he is beaten is horrible. He just gives up.
A fit and firing Sivo is more valuable than people seem to give credit on here. I haven't given up on him getting back. His last game in 2023 against the panthers was very good - he scored 4 tries but his backfield runs were also effective. He seemed hampered by injury in his two outings this year.
There has been some decline in his carries from the backfield - defenitely - but to be honest it was never his strongest suit and at his absolute best he was only around that 160 metre mark - not elite.
I'm more worried about his defence. he used to be a pretty good wing defender but the suspensions have clearly got into his head and he is tentative when jamming. He needs to sort that out and he did the same thing in the cup game on the weekend.
His best asset is his power finishing and I'd be still aiming to get him back so he can combine with lomax next season.
Sivo needs to stay out of the gym and just concentrate on speed and agility drop 7-8 kilos while he's at it.
I agree his best footy he was about 5 kilos lighter
Absolutely. I would actually say he probably needs to lose close to 10 kgs.
Going off BA's comments it seems they want him to get leaner which is half the problem, the other half is getting the mental attitude right. Hopefully a few weeks in reserve grade will sort him out.
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