Watch: Kevin Naiqama scores on his NRL return

In 2022, Kevin Naiqama returned to the NRL as a St Helens hero.

In his three years with the Saints he delivered the Super League title in each season as well as the League Leaders’ Shield in 2019 and the Challenge Cup in 2021 leaving him with five trophies in three seasons in Super League.

A big game player, he scored a hat-trick in Saints’ semi-final win over Catalans in 2020 before turning out a gutsy display in the Grand Final against Wigan that season. Then in the 2021 Grand Final he picked up the Harry Sunderland Award as Man of the Match as he scored twice in the Saints’ 12-10 win over Catalans to secure a third consecutive title.

That was his last game as a Saint and for a time it was thought it may be his last all together until the Sydney Roosters signed him ahead of the 2022 season. A move to the wing soon followed having starred as a centre mostly for the Saints. However, this positional switch did not get him into the Roosters’ starting 17 in the first few games of the season but today Naiqama made his long awaited NRL return in Sydney’s 28-4 win over North Queensland Cowboys.

He even scored finishing off a sweeping move started by Victor Radley which led to Joseph Manu finding some space at right centre as Naiqama often did for St Helens. Manu then produced a silky offload for Naiqama to score and crown his comeback with a try which you can watch here:

SENSATIONAL. 🙌🙌🙌#NRLCowboysRoosters pic.twitter.com/L6HFT6zUDT

— NRL (@NRL) April 2, 2022

Whether the try is enough to cement Naiqama’s place in the side in the long term remains to be seen but it certainly was a terrific return for the three-time Super League Champion.

Welcome back to the #NRL, Kevin Naiqama! 👊#NRLCowboysRoosters pic.twitter.com/WDX8jyyQ8X

— NRL (@NRL) April 2, 2022