Stefano Utoikamanu: Parramatta Eels to unleash NSW prodigy on Knights
He has signed a three-year, $800,000 deal with Wests Tigers from next season, but Parramatta will unleash the teenage giant described as a Payne Haas-David Klemmer hybrid against the Knights.
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It’s time for Parramatta to unleash the beast — and Wests Tigers fans should be watching on with interest.
After playing just 36 minutes of rugby league in nearly 10 months, a giant prodigy NSW State of Origin coach Brad Fittler has compared to Payne Haas and David Klemmer will make his debut against Newcastle on Sunday.
Standing 192cm and weighing 115kg, Stefano Utoikamanu will get an early test of his power when he faces Klemmer at McDonald Jones Stadium.
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“If you run into him, he will hit you hard,” Eels coach Brad Arthur said.
Parramatta shouldn’t get too comfortable about seeing Utoikamanu in action — he has signed a three-year, $800,000 deal with Wests Tigers from next season.
Late last year, Utoikamanu sought an immediate release to join Wests Tigers but it was rejected by the Eels.
A 44-second YouTube highlights package shows the carnage and destruction the front-rower can cause.
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Utoikamanu, 19, played for Wentworthville in last year’s Canterbury Cup grand final on September 28 before pinching just 36 minutes off the bench for Parramatta in a round one Canterbury Cup game on March 15. The competition was then suspended.
He has sat idle ever since.
That means Utoikamanu has only played half an hour of rugby league in the past 285 days. But make no mistake, he is fresh and ready to rip.
“He is a power player, he is going to be hard to handle,” Arthur said. “With his size, he’s physically good. He runs hard and if you run into him, he will hit you hard.
“He’s a big body. I think Stef weighs 115kg. It’s been hard because he hasn’t had any games to get an opportunity to prove his worth.
“But he knuckled down, trained well and put himself in the frame. It’s a good reward for effort.”
Utoikamanu won man-of-the-match honours after scoring the game-winning try in an under-18s State of Origin game in 2018.
He then ran for 149m in the NSW under-20s win over Queensland last year.
An edge player if required, Utoikamanu was a key member of last year’s Wentworthville grand final side, which included Oregon Kaufusi, Ray Stone, Josh Hoffman, Matt McIlwrick, George Jennings, Tim Mannah, David Gower and Peni Terepo.
In Canterbury Cup last year, Utoikamanu averaged 94 run metres a game and his tackle efficiency rate was 92 per cent.
Born in Otahuhu, Auckland, Utoikamanu has represented NSW 16s, 18s and 20s.
He was upgraded to Parramatta’s top 30-man squad in January this year and enters the Eels side due to injuries to Kaufusi, Stone and Kane Evans.
“He’s a big unit,” said Rip Taylor, who coached Utoikamanu at Wentworthville last year. “It’s the old story. You have to put the gloves on at some stage and jump into that 12 x 12 ring. I hope he gets a fair shot at it.
“I hope the young fella has a crack. He has great feet for a big boy and good leg speed. He has all the stuff they are looking for.
“He also has some good skills and he’s tough. He will grow into being a footballer. I think he has the grounding to go on. Hopefully he works hard and does it.
“It will be great to play the Knights, for him to see how he is going.”