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Ealing Trailfinders sign NRL convert Niko

By Online Editors
Elijah Niko in action for Pau. (Photo credit: PASCAL GUYOT/AFP/Getty Images)

Ambitious Ealing Trailfinders have signed a former NRL winger Elijah Niko, who was on the books at New Zealand Warriors and Melbourne Storm.

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Standing at 6ft 4”, the winger signs from Yorkshire Carnegie where he has impressed in the Greene King IPA Championship after a six month spell at Headingley, scoring seven tries in 14 appearances.

The 28-year-old is originally from Wellington in New Zealand and is of Samoan descent. He played Rugby League as a junior, signing professionally for New Zealand Warriors in 2008 before moving to Melbourne Storm in 2011.

He then switched codes to Rugby Union as part of the Australian National Sevens squad before moving to France to play with Pau, Albi and Beziers.

“Ealing Trailfinders is an ambitious club with a very professional outfit, great players and great staff. A while back I spoke with Jordy Reid who I know very well and heard first hand from him about the club and the many good things as well as the goals for the upcoming season,” Niko said.

“It certainly attracted me and I am very grateful to be part of this team and looking forward to getting stuck in at training with my new team mates.”

Director of Rugby Ben Ward is thrilled to have another top quality arrival at Trailfinders Sports Club.

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“Elijah is a very exciting addition to our side and we are looking forward to seeing him in an Ealing Trailfinders shirt. With Will Harries departing we have been on the search for someone to add some X factor out wide, we feel he will be able to do that and will compliment our back three.”

He will vie with current wingers James Cordy Redden, Seb Stegmann and Reon Joseph for a starting spot at Ealing.

In other news: Christian Lealiifano explains his decision to leave the Brumbies

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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