General Newcastle recruit teenage Warriors utility

[Knighty_old]

Newcastle recruit teenage Warriors utility
BY BRETT KEEBLE

THE Newcastle Knights have signed 18-year-old New Zealand Warriors utility forward Constantine Mika until the end of 2010.

Mika, who has been playing in the Warriors' National Youth Competition team this year, played in their 30-18 victory over the Knights in NYC at Mt Smart Stadium on April 6.

He arrived in Newcastle this week and met some of his new teammates when he trained with the Knights senior squad yesterday.

Knights operations manager Warren Smiles said the Warriors' release was conditional on Mika not playing in the NRL or NYC this season.

That means the 183 centimetre, 105 kilogram former New Zealand junior international will be confined to showing his wares in the NSW Cup for the rest of this year but will be unrestricted from next year.

Mika represented New Zealand under 18s last year, the Junior Kiwis in 2006 and the New Zealand under 16s in 2005.

He hails from the Otahuhu Leopards the same junior club as Knights winger Cooper Vuna, former Knights centre George Carmont and veteran Kiwi pack leader Ruben Wiki.

"He's a bit like Cooper. We're bringing him out here to get to know how to become a professional player," Knights coach Brian Smith said. 'We'll get the most out of him next season after he's had a full pre-season. He's got nice skills, a good pass, a chunky build."

Smiles described Mika as a powerfully built back-rower who could play in the centres "or even push up into the front row at a pinch".

He said the Warriors had released Mika back to their NSW Cup side, the Auckland Vulcans, "but he was treading water a bit so they were happy to give him a clearance to let him come here".

Educated at De La Salle College in Auckland, Mika played 18 games for the Auckland Lions in Premier League (now NSW Cup) last year.

The Central Newcastle Knights have a bye in NSW Cup this weekend so he will have to wait until May 31 to make his first appearance in Newcastle colours.

The Knights play the Warriors in NRL and NYC at EnergyAustralia Stadium that night, but Central Newcastle play Manly in a NSW Cup curtain-raiser.

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Any good?

 

[commonsense_old]

oh no!!!
did the knight steal mika???

 

[Kid-Dynamite_old]

oh no!!!
did the knight steal mika???

That's what the article says!

 

[MiXmasterreece_old]

Fffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkk

another one bites the dust.

I fully thought Mika, Fai and Matulino would form the backbone of our 2nd row going forward.

 

[Jesbass_old]

F$&K!!! No, no, no! :smash: :smash: :smash:

 

[warriors_ballboy_CEO_old]

another one bits the dust.

Best of luck for him, as long as he says yes to New Zealand & no S.O.O.

 

[David James_old]

Ar$e biscuits!

 

[blain91_old]

GGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!

i liked mika. oh well, we still have fai, jones and matulino coming through. i think.

wonder why he left? i thought hes been injured.. maybe he was dropped?

 

[kingdamo_old]

He looks like a teddy bear

 

[KeepingTheFaith_old]

That came as a bit of a shock, although it does explain his demotion to the NSW cup. Fortunately the Warriors are blessed with some talented backrowers coming through the ranks. We couldn't keep them all so atleast Mika won't be lost to league and has the chance to kick on at another NRL club.

Awesome defender.

 

[Matrix_old]

Why didn't we go for a swap for one of there half's What do the warriors get out of developing a player & then letting him go? The warriors are blessed with props & backrowers but the same can't be said about our half's !!!! Does anybody know if we get a transfer fee or anything ?

 

[Wiki_old]

Any good?

Are you kidding? He is an awesome prospect.

 

[Jesbass_old]

Are you kidding? He is an awesome prospect.

Mate, do you reckon Vuna was a factor?

 

[Viking_old]

Didn't he have a couple of games with the NYC team this year?

 

[Skinny_Ravs82]

Shame, but as we all know we can't have everbody. But seriously what's with all the sneaky little poachers, man? Don't they have their own little crop to pick?

 

[blain91_old]

it happens every week skinny. its not like we havent done it.

as long as we have fai, matulino, packer, ah mau and jones we should be sweet. thats prob another factor, alot of competition for a warriors spot.

 

[Ryno_old]

As long as they are developing us kiwis i dont really mind aye. Mika will thrive over there in Newcastle!! Cant wait to see what he turns into.

 

[kingdamo_old]

Yeah there was waaay too many people in front of him to able to get a spot here, so good on him and he should be good for Newcastle.

Hopefully not too good though

 

[a.c.e_old]

Any good?

Hes LaSallian, hes as good as they get

 

[Iafeta_old]

Bummer. From the little I'd seen of him he was very aggressive. I just wondered a little though whether he was the same body type of Lauaki, and could suffer similar inconsistencies in his game? Guess we'll never know, so that's sad.