Parramatta powerhouse Maika Sivoโs barnstorming double on Thursday night โ including an unforgettable late match-winner to sink Melbourne โ was the latest chapter in rugby leagueโs rich narrative of big men starring on the flank.
The 105kg Sivo is carrying the torch passed on by modern era tearaways such as Eels predecessor Semi Radradra, Wests Tigers freight train Taniela Tuiaki and the irrepressible John Hopoate.
In the first edition of Zero Tackleโs Top 8, WILL EVANS from This Warriors Life ranks the greatest wing behemoths the game has produced.
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6. Manu Vatuvei
Maligned in some quarters and adored by just as many loyal Warriors supporters, โThe Beastโ is one of the most prolific try-scorers and enigmatic players of the modern era. The 107kg Vatuveiโs blockbusting runs down the sideline, superb aerial ability, quality finishing and battering-ram charges out of the Warriorsโ half were his irresistible trademarks, but he was equally famous for some of the most notoriously error-strewn performances ever seen at first-grade level.
Nevertheless, Vatuvei retired with 152 tries in 226 NRL games โ currently equal-12th of all time โ while he has scored a record 22 times in 28 Tests for the Kiwis. The ever-grinning flank tank created an indelible legacy by becoming the first player in premiership history to score 10 tries in 10 consecutive seasons.
