Kevin Naiqama

Kevin Naiqama

Naiqama at the premiere of Hercules, June 2014.
Personal information
Nickname	Lips, Kev, Kevvy[1]
Born	(1989-02-04) 4 February 1989 Sutherland, New South Wales, Australia
Height	179 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	93 kg (14 st 9 lb)
Playing information
Position	Fullback, Wing, Centre
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2010–13	Newcastle Knights	15	9	0	0	36
2014	Penrith Panthers	8	7	0	0	28
2015–	Wests Tigers	8	3	0	0	12
	Total	31	19	0	0	76
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2009–14	Fiji	8	2	0	0	4
As of 6 April 2015
Source: [2]

Kevin Naiqama (born 4 February 1989) is a Fijian Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League. Naiqama primarily plays fullback, wing and centre. Naiqama is Fiji national representative.

Early years

Born in Sutherland, New South Wales, Naiqama played his junior football for the Arncliffe Scots before being signed by the St. George Illawarra Dragons. In 2008, Naiqama moved to the Newcastle Knights with his brother Wes Naiqama. Naiqama played for the Knights NYC team in 2008 and 2009, scoring 21 tries in 33 games.^[3] In 2009, Naiqama played for the Fiji national team in the 2009 Pacific Cup.^[4]

Playing career

2010

In 2010, after playing in just his first year of New South Wales Cup, Naiqama was selected in the New South Wales Residents team to play the Queensland Residents at ANZ Stadium as a curtain raiser to Game 3 of the State of Origin series.^[5] In Round 26 of the 2010 NRL season, Naiqama made his NRL debut for the Newcastle Knights against the Melbourne Storm on the wing in the Knights 34-4 loss at AAMI Park.^[1][6] At the end of 2010, Naiqama was named at wing in the 2010 New South Wales Cup Team of the Year.^[7]

Naiqama playing for the Central Coast Centurions in 2011.

2011

In June 2011, Naiqama re-signed with the Knights on a 1-year contract.^[8] Naiqama did not make an appearance for the Knights in the 2011 NRL season.

2012

On 3 August 2012, Naiqama again re-signed with the Knights on a 1-year contract.^[9] In Round 17 against the Parramatta Eels at Parramatta Stadium, Naiqama scored his first NRL career try in the Knights 20-12 win.^[10] Naiqama finished the Knights 2012 NRL season with him playing in 8 matches and scored 7 tries.

2013

On 21 June 2013, Naiqama signed a 2-year contract with the Penrith Panthers starting in 2014, to join his older brother Wes, after Knights coach Wayne Bennett told Naiqama to move clubs and further his career as he was behind representative players Darius Boyd, James McManus and Akuila Uate at the Knights.^[11][12] Naiqama finished the Knights 2013 NRL season with him playing in 6 matches and scoring 2 tries. In 2013, Naiqama played for Fiji at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.^[13] playing in 5 matches and scoring 1 try.

2014

In February 2014, Naiqama was selected in the Panthers inaugural 2014 Auckland Nines squad.^[14] In Round 2 against the Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park, Naiqama made his club debut for the Penrith Panthers, scoring a double, denied a hatrick in the Panthers 18-17 loss.^[15] On 3 May 2014, Naiqama played for Fiji in the 2014 Pacific Rugby League International, scoring a try in Fiji's 32-16 loss to Samoa.^[16] Naiqama finished off the Panthers 2014 NRL season with him playing in 8 matches and scoring 7 tries.

2015

On 10 October 2014, Naiqama signed with the Wests Tigers on a 1-year contract for 2015.^[17][18]

On 23 January 2015, Naiqama was named in the Wests Tigers' 2015 Auckland Nines squad.

Personal life

Naiqama is the younger brother of fellow Penrith Panthers player and Fijian international, Wes Naiqama.^[1]

References

External links

• 2015 Wests Tigers profile