Having only just turned 26 less than two weeks ago, nib Newcastle Knights new recruit Ken Sio has plenty of games under his belt for someone of his age.
With more than half of the Knights’ current squad having played less than 25 first grade matches, Sio comes to the Club having played 57 matches in the NRL and 48 in the Super League.
On top of that is an impressive 67 tries, but Sio stays humble and says he has to bring everything to the table in order to make his mark in the NRL the second time around.
“It was just the perfect opportunity to come back to the NRL and gain more experience,” Sio said at a press conference on Monday afternoon.
“I want to come back to the NRL and show what I’ve got.”
Sio says he had in-depth discussions with head coach Nathan Brown before he signed with the red and blues, and is well aware of the youthfulness of the squad.
“We caught up before I signed and he told me we were going through that rebuilding stage and that’s what I’m keen on,” he explained.
“I’m looking forward to playing with everyone and no matter what grade I play in I want to bring everything to the table.”
With the fullback position up for grabs at the start of the 2017 season there has been much talk about Sio finding a home there, but he says it’s too early to make a call on that.
While capable of playing anywhere in the backline, he holds a soft spot for the wing.
“My preference would be the wing to be honest, just because I have more experience there and I still have things to learn at fullback,” he said.
“(At Hull KR) I was pretty much playing anywhere in the backs, from wing to centre and fullback as well.
“I learned a lot about fullback when I was there, but I’ve still got more to learn at that position.
“It’s just the second week of the pre-season so we’ll see what Browny’s plans are and go from there.”
Sio also says that when the pre-season is done and dusted, he will be looking forward to playing at McDonald Jones Stadium.
“It’ll be good to play in front of the crowd here, it’s a one team town so it will be awesome,” he said.
“I’ll be looking to carry it out from the back when the forwards are tired and score some tries.”
