Matt Ikuvalu, a former outside back for the Sydney Roosters and Cronulla Sharks has signed with a new team for this season that will allow him to continue his rugby league playing career.
Last playing in the NRL in 2023, Ikuvalu has signed with the Wyong Roos in the Newcastle Rugby League competition, which will see him play alongside former Newcastle Knights and Sydney Roosters forward Zane Tetevano.
This comes after the 31-year-old was on the lookout for a new team since September, after most recently playing with the Catalans Dragons in the Super League competition.
A product of the Central Coast and Manly Sea Eagles junior, he featured in the 2023 Grand Final for Catalans before eventually going down to the Bevan French-led Wigan Warriors.
Able to play anywhere in the back-line, Ikuvalu spent six seasons in the NRL for the Sydney Roosters (2018-21) and Cronulla Sharks (2022-23) making 43 first-grade appearances and scoring 29 tries.
However, during his time at the Shire, he found himself moving down the pecking order with the emergence of younger players like Kayal Iro, Sam Stonestreet and Kade Dykes as the backup to the regular top-grade outside backs and went on to make the switch overseas mid-way through the 2023 season.
