Stefano Utoikamanu #241

Pascoe Must Resign said:
www.smh.com.au

‘I want to be the next Tigers captain’: Stefano Utoikamanu

Stefano Utoikamanu led the team out during a pre-season trial. The Wests Tigers prop hopes the appointment is a pointer to the future.
www.smh.com.au www.smh.com.au

‘I want to be the next Tigers captain’: Stefano Utoikamanu

Stefano Utoikamanu wants to be the next Wests Tigers captain.

Apisai Koroisau will remain in the role for as long as he wants it, but the Wests Tigers prop has already been earmarked as leadership material.

Despite being only 22, Utoikamanu is the club’s delegate to the Rugby League Players’ Association and skippered the side during a preseason trial.

It is a nod towards the Parramatta junior’s potential to wear the captain’s armband.

“Definitely down the track, I want to be a captain of this club,” Utoikamanu said.

“I had a little bit of a taste in [the] preseason when I was captain in the trial game. It probably wasn’t as hard as I was thinking, I was just overthinking everything. I should have just kept everything simple in getting my message to the boys.

“In time, that will come.”

Tigers coaches Tim Sheens and Benji Marshall named Utoikamanu a member of the leadership group during the preseason and he is learning as much as he can from Koroisau.

“He surprised me as a captain, he actually talks a lot more than I thought he would,” Utoikamanu said of Koroisau.

“He’s pretty good at getting a simple message out without saying much. He gets the boys on a roll, especially in the morning when the boys are not energised and are a bit flat.

“He’s good at bringing the boys up.”

Tigers teammate Isaiah Papali’i, also a former Eels forward, said Utoikamanu had captaincy credentials.

“He’s quite a quiet dude, but very disciplined and leads by his actions,” Papali’i said.

“I could definitely see him being a captain one day. People will look to him to lead from the front as a prop.

“He led us out in the trials, which was pretty cool. That’s a pretty good stepping stone to eventually getting that role.

“He took his job seriously which is what you want because it’s a big role, whether it be a trial or a normal season game. He did well.”

Utoikamanu is considered one of the most promising front-rowers in the game. The Parramatta junior was part of Brad Fittler’s NSW extended squad for the third game of the 2021 series and has been part of the Emerging Blues camps.

Having missed a chunk of last season with an ankle injury, the Australian Schoolboys star has dropped down the pecking order of Blues contenders. However, he is hopeful that an improved run of form from the Tigers could aid his prospects.

“When you see the players that are in the [representative] teams, they are all top tier and playing in the [top] eight, that’s mostly where they get the team from,” he said.

“If we can get up there, it gives you a big chance of getting in here.”

After losing their opening seven games, the Tigers have now won two back-to-back. They face a difficult task in extending the sequence to three, coming up against the NRL’s hottest team, South Sydney, at Accor Stadium on Saturday.

“We know South Sydney is a pretty dangerous team,” Utoikamanu said. “If everyone in our team turns up and switches in, I reckon we can do a job.”
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I really like this. Stef really is making a huge impact lately.
Definitely gives his all every game.
Good on him for being driven.
Reward the guys that have a positive mindset and want to lead the team
It's Klemmer & Api are the influences 100%
 
“He’s quite a quiet dude, but very disciplined and leads by his actions. I could definitely see him being a captain one day. People will look to him to lead from the front as a prop”

- Isaiah Papali’i on Utoikamanu

Pleasing to see players backing their teammates

Well Done
 
This is huge from Steph we should all be getting behind him on this decision. stating you want to be captain of a club is announceing you love the club and want to lead the club to success

He’s only 22 gonna take some time but steph (or as I like to call him big stiphy) is gonna an amazing players for us for years to come
 
finnzo said:
This is huge from Steph we should all be getting behind him on this decision. stating you want to be captain of a club is announceing you love the club and want to lead the club to success

He’s only 22 gonna take some time but steph (or as I like to call him big stiphy) is gonna an amazing players for us for years to come
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He should be aiming high. We all saw what he is capable of in the second half of 2021. He hasn't hit those heights again. While he is doing okay at the moment, his ceiling is one of the best props in the game. That's how talented he is. Right now he is just a solid FG prop.
 
Pascoe Must Resign said:
He should be aiming high. We all saw what he is capable of in the second half of 2021. He hasn't hit those heights again. While he is doing okay at the moment, his ceiling is one of the best props in the game. That's how talented he is. Right now he is just a solid FG prop.
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He will get there mate just taking abit of time I’m really hoping he gets called into origin camp again this year
 
Luke Heartbreaker Brooks said:
The last player who stated they wanted to be captain was Doueihi. Hopefully Doueihi can come back and have a good career but he has gone backwards at warp speed.

Stef can play but he needs to improve. More busts and less mistakes. I'm not sure he has made many mistakes but he made a big one when we were on the attack last week.
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He is young and sometimes inexperience and imaturity in the game give you the mistakes Stef can make at times....dont forget mate,some of the older highest paid players make mistakes under pressure...he will learn..
 
Don't have a great history of Prop captains. Tamau was a flop and Woods a flog. Stef appears to have more talent than Tamau and be a much better bloke than Woods. High hopes for him!
 
AL The Tiger said:
Stef apparently in the Blues squad as 19th man... One or two more years and I reckon he's in the starting squad soon enough
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Will be interesting to see the published team tomorrow.
If its true he is the 19th man with Jurbo initially picked, but withdrawing and being replaced by TPJ, does Stef then get on the bench? Or would TPJ be a straight swap for Jurbo?
 
BalmainJnr said:
Will be interesting to see the published team tomorrow.
If its true he is the 19th man with Jurbo initially picked, but withdrawing and being replaced by TPJ, does Stef then get on the bench? Or would TPJ be a straight swap for Jurbo?
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Media suggests TPJ will play, Stef to remain on the extended bench.

Stef there solely for experience as they expect him to play Origin in future (but not now).
 
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