I owe an apology blog to Maika Sivo.
I honestly thought he was gone last season before his ACL injury.
My view was that he got "weights happy" through Covid and and lost his pace and cordination.
His comeback was so so after the ACL but I still thought he would not get back to where he had been and really get rid of him now why we can.
The last 18 weeks have completely changed that and I am now saying that he is running faster than he ever has since we have seen him and that he is now reading the defence in a way that is making him a reliable defender. His high ball skills have always been good but now are gettin to an elite level.
When you look at it he was green as grass when we got him and what he is showing is a maturity now I never thought he would obtain.
Congratulations to Michel Ericsson who never stopped defending and supporting him.
Well done Maika !!!
Finally I also believe that the training he undertook in rehabiltating his ACL is probably the reason he is running faster and better because a degree of that high level training had never before been applied ......maybe there are some lessons there for all our players to become a little better at running fast.
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He's finally starting to understand he can use his physical stature in defense aswell.
When I saw him pin his ears 40 out and no one was making inroads I even thought where's this been.That Gutho pass was much the same play he pulled off for the last try against Riff.
To see him outrun Meaney and Coates was brilliant. He has always had the talent but was lacking speed. He is a keeper and always has been.
Sivo does not have a very high top speed, Coates did catch him at the line, Sivo has power, Sivo has acceleration, his muscle is great for exploding him from standstill, so he gapped Coates initially with his great acceleration and then had to get to the line. That was the best game by Sivo in my memory. His D was awesome, his taking of the high ball awesome.
I believe it was Meaney that chased him to the line. Once he burned Coates he gave up the chase. Will have to watch the replay to confirm that though.
Seve chased him to the line Coates give up the ghost.
He was brilliant last night. Casting wingers into touch like casting out demons! Loved how the Sivo chant went up for his defence!
I've always loved him because he could finish and his brute strength, but I thought he was slow. I don't think he's slow anymore, the last month or so he has show he has some speed!
Couldn't agree more. I was disappointed when we re-signed him. His performances before his most recent return were a shadow of what he delivered when burst onto the scene.
Dare I say it Sivo 3.0 is the best version yet.
He looks leaner, but as you've noted mate, he's come back a better all round footballer!
Great call out, Pops.
Have loved how Sivo has come back. Maybe he was challenged to keep his spot with Russell looking decent & Waqa great on the wing?
Whatever it was, to be back to his best so soon after that ACL is awesome.
Cracking game from the big fella, definitely has come back fit, fast and strong.
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