Palm Beach Currumbin Alleygator Rodney Pita wins 2020 Bob Sinclair Medal

Former Aussie Rules international Rodney Pita has taken out the Gold Coast’s 2020 Bob Sinclair Medal for player of the year.

Former Aussie Rules international Rodney Pita has taken out the Gold Coast’s 2020 Bob Sinclair Medal for player of the year.

The 23-year-old Palm Beach Currumbin scrumhalf steered the Alleygators within a game of the first grade grand final in the club’s first season back in top grade.

“He’s been a revelation,” Gators rugby manager Michael Bell said of the former Tongan Aussie Rules star.

“He’s been the lifeblood of the team.

PBC Alleygators scrumhalf Rodney Pita. Photograph : Jason O'Brien

“He was brought to Australia by an AFL club because he’d been doing well playing AFL in Tonga, so they flew him over to pursue AFL options.

“He was spotted by Souths in Brisbane and spent a few years there before we asked if he’d be interested in playing on the Coast for a year.”

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The fearless playmaker was a difference maker on every phase and a key architect of the Gators near-boilover of Colleges in the semi-final.

Pita’s sacrifices for the team even saw him cut short the christening of his daughter to ensure he didn’t miss the sudden-death clash with Colleges.

“The christening had been planned for quite some time (for Sunday) so when the game got postponed it looked like he was going to be unavailable,” Bell said.

“Rodney and his family made a huge sacrifice to allow him to play.”

Pita was presented with the Bob Sinclair Medal at the Gold Coast District Referee’s Association annual dinner on Wednesday evening.

Hurricanes U20s captain Xavier Pereka has walked away from New Zealand because he heard the voice of God telling him his place was on the Gold Coast. The Bond Pirates rugby club are set to benefit because their president bumped into him at Church and recruited him. Picture Glenn Hampson

A new trophy for 2020’s captain of the year, commissioned by incoming district chairman Dr Rod Thomson, was presented to Bond Pirates skipper Xavier Pereka.

“The Rod Thomson Trophy is to recognise leadership and as captain of Bond Xavier displayed an amazing ability to lift his team so they never lost hope or their spirit,” Thomson said.

“As No.8 he led the Pirates pack, which has been the dominant scrum of the year, to be feared and admired by their opponents.

“That’s the spirit of leadership that the captain of the year should go to.”