At just 20 years of age Sione Katoa already has a big wrap on his shoulders. If you've ever seen him play you'll know why.
Locked in to over 54% of NRL Fantasy squads already, his lightning pace and elusive footwork are set to be unleashed in his debut match tonight against the North Queensland Cowboys.
If you're one of the Fantasy coaches who doesn't have Sione in your side, here's why you should slot him in now.
He has all the ingredients of becoming a star in the NRL. Footwork, speed, the ability to sniff out a try scoring opportunity, Katoa has impressed the right people this past summer.
He's had a solid pre-season, put his head down, listened and learned from his senior team mates and worked really hard to earn his shot at the big time, edging in front of guys like Aaron Gray, Edrick Lee and Jesse Ramien for the right wing spot.
He's going to score a lot of tries in the NRL, he's a superstar
Shane Flanagan
Katoa clocked a staggering 9.69 metres per second during the summer, some serious pace! When you add that to his fleeting footwork it's no surprise he scored a competition-high 24 tries with a whopping 242 tackle breaks in the Holden Cup last year. Big numbers.
Sharks coach Shane Flanagan has already touted him as a future star of the game, assistant coach John Morris played a big hand in getting him to the Club, and former rake Mick Ennis is a big Katoa fan.
If Flanagan's latest chat is anything to go by, you won't want to miss the boat!
"He's going to score a lot of tries in the NRL, he's a superstar." Flanagan said
"He's got a bit of Jordan Rapana in the way he carries the football,
"He's not as big as Jordan, nowhere near that, but stopping and starting, reloading and just keeping going until he finds a hole."
We all know what Rapana is capable of when it comes to NRL Fantasy. If Sione can fulfil his immense potential then he's going to make you some serious cash with his current BE just 14 points.
In my opinion, after watching him dominate the Holden Cup last year, constantly impressed by his speed and ability to find eve the smallest gaps, he could become a keeper.
"He deserves his spot, he's played well in the trials coming off the back of the under 20s season last year," Flanagan said.
Quietly spoken, Katoa steers clear of the limelight off the field, preferring to let his actions on the paddock do his talking. I, along with many others at the Club, can't wait to see him run out in the black, white and blue tonight.
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