Maika Sivo can still recall the first meal he had after arriving on Australian shores in 2015.
In a 2019 story by the NRL he recalls his time in Gundagai and the help provided by the Gundagai Tigers club and the people who live in the community.
It was nothing like he’d had before.
A skinny 93-kilo rugby union prodigy had joined his mates Joe, Peter and Eddy in arriving at Sydney Airport.
Their destination? Gundagai, NSW, almost four hours from the international airport and a time Sivo can now reflect upon as a life-changing period in his life.
“The trip was seven hours for us, we stopped three times,” Sivo told NRL.com.
“In Fiji, the longest you drive is about three hours so it was a long drive. We had Hungry Jack’s first, then Red Rooster.
“They have that sort of food in Fiji but it was expensive and we didn’t usually go there being in the village. Sometimes you went to town and bought chicken but we mainly ate fish and taro.”
On arrival in Gundagai, Sivo and his mates would bunker down with Don and Kathy Tuckwell.
Soon they’d meet Marty Hay, the Gundagai club secretary.
Hay said, “He struggled with English when he was here, he was almost hopeless.”
“That’s one thing I’ve been impressed with watching from afar is how much he’s improved. He speaks really well now.
“And his build, he was much more slimline but extremely fast.
Our halves would chip the ball and he’d come through like superman.
Sivo would work for Hay in a couple of jobs around his farm to help support himself financially.
He’d receive $120 match payment from the club and around $100 for any odd job in the community.
“We had a small farm … we gave them a day here or there,” Hay said.
“One day they were helping on the farm with sheep and the next they were washing cars for the elders.
“We had them mingling with the community. None of the boys had travelled abroad so it was a life experience.
They were beautiful people.”
As for what Sivo spent his spare cash on?
“I would just save it and send it back to home,” Sivo says.
When he arrived at the foot of the Blue Mountains in 2017 it was another life experience hurdle for Sivo to overcome.
“Arriving at Penrith there were thousands of people,” Sivo said.
“Being in Gundagai there were only a few hundred people. It was like my village Momi in Fiji.”
Parramatta teammate Waqa Blake reckons Sivo was desperately unlucky not to make his NRL debut during his time at Penrith under Anthony Griffin.
He scored 22 tries in 25 games for the Panthers across two seasons in Canterbury Cup NSW.
He even tried his hand playing with St Marys and Mounties before being lured to the blue and gold of Parramatta.
“There were a lot of players standing in his way,” Blake said, with the pair spending a pre-season together at Penrith.
“He was also really quiet, stuck to the Fijian or Polynesian boys, where he felt a bit more comfortable.
“That’s one thing I’ve noticed since arriving at the Eels is how much more open he is. He’s still very fresh, raw and learning the game but everyone loves him here.”
And how could anyone not love what Sivo is bringing to the game?
Fast Forward to 2024 and it looks like Sivo could be on the move after a long and illustrious career with the Blue and Gold.
Sivo’s time at Parramatta is reportedly drawing to a close, with the winger set to reunite with former coach Brad Arthur in the Super League.
That’s according to Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould, who said on Channel Nine’s coverage of Fiji’s Pacific Championships loss to Papua New Guinea that Sivo is “close to signing over in England with Leeds.”
Sivo is contracted until 2027 but has been given permission to seek opportunities elsewhere as the Jason Ryles era begins at Parramatta.
Should Sivo complete the move to Leeds he will become the second NRL player to join Brad Arthur’s side in recent weeks after Keenan Palasia made his move official.
Parramatta’s roster clean out has seen Reagan Campbell-Gillard sign with the Titans, while skipper Clint Gutherson has been given permission to speak with rivals.
Sivo, 31, has played 115 games for the Eels since debuting in 2019, scoring 104 tries, 17 of which came in 12 appearances this season.
Parramatta have plenty of winger options heading into next season, including Jake Tago, Sean Russell, Haze Dunster and Bailey Simonsson, while new recruit Zac Lomax can also fill in there if need be.
If Sivo signs at Leeds with his former Coach and continues playing, he may even look at eyeing a return to the Tigers at career’s end. A return to back where it all started.