Sione Katoa, known for his lightning speed and silky footwork, impressed in the pre-season after he was the leading try-scorer across the under-20s competition in 2017.
Katoa charged into contention early on in pre-season, putting in the hard work and being rewarded when named to make his NRL debut on the wing in Round 1.
Katoa's NRL dream took a hit after he suffered a broken jaw early in the match against the Cowboys, which relegated him to the reserves for a number of weeks.
Katoa retuned through the Intrust Super Premiership with Newtown, putting in solid performances and putting his hand up for a recall.
Sione returned to the NRL in Round 13 where he showed incredible acrobatic abilities to score his first NRL try in the corner of ANZ Stadium.
In July, Katoa signed a 2 year extension ensuring he stays in the black, white and blue until at least the end of 2020, while also welcoming his first child, a girl Keziah, with wife Cholayna.
Katoa finished his debut year appearing in 9 games, scoring 3 tries with 33 tackle breaks.
Stats
Photo of the Year
Katoa scoring his first try in the NRL and showing everyone his freakish acrobatic abilities
2019 - What's ahead
We'll look forward to seeing his progression in 2019 with another full pre-season under his belt while looking to cement a regular place in Flanagan's 17
