Manu retires from test league, credited for leading Tonga success [1]
Wednesday, October 31, 2018 - 17:14. Updated on Thursday, November 1, 2018 - 09:27.
Mate Ma’a Tonga captain, Sika Manu has retired from international football after the historic game against Australia on 20 October, and is being hailed as a pioneer in leading Tonga to success by coach Kristian Woolf.
The National Rugby League (NRL.com [2]) reported that the 31-year-old, who overcame a knee injury to proudly lead Tonga in the first test against Australia, waited until after the game to inform Woolf and his team-mates of his decision to retire from test football.
Woolf heaped praise on Sika and credited him as one of the first players to commit to Tonga in 2013, after playing 14 tests for New Zealand.
"He is a terrific leader, he has been the captain of the Tonga team since 2014 and he was one of the first ones, who was still on the cards of playing for New Zealand, who decided he wanted to play for Tonga while he was still at his best," Woolf said.
"He was there during some really lean times, I guess, when things were a lot tougher resource wise and player quality wise than what they are now. Sika was probably the first bloke to really lead Tonga rugby league out of that."
According to NRL.com, after Sika announced his retirement, he told Woolf that he believed Tonga was now in a strong position after qualifying for the 2017 World Cup semi-final and then proving competitive against the Kangaroos.
"I think he would have kept playing if his body could keep up with it all but I know just from the conversation I had with him that he feels like everything is in a good place, that everything is in good hands and there is some good leadership coming through in the group," Woolf said.
"Guys like Jason [Taumalolo], Will Hopoate and Siosiua Taukeiaho are real emerging leaders and he thinks that they can continue to take everything forward so it is the right time to step aside and let someone else do it."
Sika’s passion to represent Tonga saw him fly from England, where he plays for Hull FC, to join his Tongan team-mates in the mid-season Pacific Test each year. Woolf praised Sika for always been extremely committed.
“It’s even little things that go unnoticed, like how after Cyclone Gita earlier this year, he was one of the first guys to jump on a plane and go over to Tonga and offer his services for free, taking water and stuff like that around to some of the villages.”
“He is a very good person and a very good leader, as well as a good footy player, and he deserves a lot of accolades.”
Sika played 11 Tests for Tonga, including the 2013 and 2017 World Cups. He is also a former Melbourne Storm and Penrith Panthers second-rower and currently plays with English club Hull FC.