Devastating blow to former NRL star
Maika Sivo's move to England has suffered a devastating setback with the destructive winger ruled out for the season after scans confirmed he suffered an ACL injury that requires surgery.
The try-scoring machine joined Leeds on a three-year deal following six successful seasons at the Eels where he crossed 104 times in just 115 appearances for the blue and golds.
Sivo had linked up with former Parramatta coach Brad Arthur at the Rhinos but will now miss the entire 2025 season after he hurt his left knee during the first half of their shock win over Wigan in Ash Handley's testimonial game.
Maika Sivo has been ruled out for the season with an ACL injury that will require surgery. Sad news for Maika and we wish him all the best with his recovery over the coming months.
— Leeds Rhinos (@leedsrhinos) January 27, 2025
'Our first thoughts are with Maika and we will all get round him and give him and his family our support,' Arthur said.
'Our medical team will make sure he has the best possible treatment to come back from the injury as soon as possible. Maika is a strong character and I am sure he will throw himself into his recovery to get back to his best.'
Leeds open their Super League campaign on February 16 and may have to hit the open market to replace a man who was tipped to score a stack of tries out wide.
'This is an extremely tough blow for us as a club but especially devastating for Maika who has fitted in so well in our group,' Rhinos sporting director Ian Blease said.
'We were all excited to see what he could do in Super League in 2025, but we will just have to wait for that now.
'In terms of our squad, we will need to review the full situation and look at all our options.
'We have some outstanding young players who could well now get the opportunity to grab their chance, and I will be discussing all our options with the club, Brad and the coaching staff in the coming weeks ahead of the season kicking off.'
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