As Bulldogs forward Viliame Kikau gets ready to play Penrith for the first time since leaving the club, he is keen to control his emotions.
With the Panthers in 2021 and 2022, Kikau won back-to-back NRL premierships; however, he left to play for Canterbury the previous season. Unfortunately, injuries kept him from playing Penrith in 2023.
That will alter on Friday night at BlueBet Stadium when Canterbury plays the Panthers in a game that Kikau is sure to be emotionally charged.
According to Kikau, “It’s weird,” NRL.com. “I have to make sure that my preparation methods remain the same and don’t alter. It’s exciting, of course, and there will undoubtedly be some buzz.
“I’ve spent seven years performing at that stadium. Simply said, [Stephen Crichton and I] will proceed as we would with any other game.
“I’m really looking forward to it, it’s always good to play the best in the comp and we’ve got a big test.”
Kikau still resides in Penrith and maintains close relationships with his old Panthers colleagues.
He is one of several former Panthers who are currently playing for the Bulldogs; captain Stephen Crichton is getting ready for his first encounter with the team.
Canterbury’s comeback this year has been greatly aided by the Penrith influence, which includes Matt Burton, Jaeman Salmon, and coach Cameron Ciraldo.
Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai has watched with interest as the Bulldogs have climbed into the top eight and he’s expecting a hard-fought contest on Friday night.
“You see the way they defend, Ciro’s really good on defence,” Luai said. “At the end of the day, if you know you’re footy, defence wins games.
“It’s a really important part of our game, it’s a really important part of winning games. I can definitely see the way they’re defending that Ciro’s got his hands all over that, so they’re doing well.”
While James Fisher-Harris is returning to New Zealand to play for the Warriors, Luai and Sunia Turuva are expected to sign with the Wests Tigers next season, proving that the Bulldogs are not the only team luring players away from Penrith.
The Panthers have maintained their status as the NRL standard in spite of the departure, and they are aiming for a fourth consecutive premiership this year.
The fact that a number of players have stepped up in the last few years to fill the hole left by departing stars is a credit to the talent pipeline club executives have constructed.
Luai is excited by the prospect of a new challenge at the Wests Tigers next season, but for now, he’s determined to finish his time with Penrith on a high.
Luai remarked, “I’m not worried about the future; I’m just focused on enjoying this present. “I’ll take care of it when it arrives.
“The former Panthers appear to be having a great time at the Bulldogs, where they have established a great culture.” They’re playing excellent football, and the energy seems fantastic.
“I hope to move in the same manner as they did, but I’m not too concerned about how it will work out. My main goal is to make the most of my time here and to appreciate what I have left.”
Luai is happy that he will be starting on the other side of the field from Kikau, leaving halfback Nathan Cleary with the difficult task of slowing down the charging forward.
The Fijian international said he won’t be going after Cleary on Friday night, but he did demonstrate how deadly he can be last weekend when he ran over Wests Tigers halfback Aidan Sezer.
“Cleary is the best player in the world,” Kikau said. “He’s a great player, he’ll be on my side so I’ve got to be on my best game.
“We’ve got to make sure we don’t go away from what we’re trying to build here, stick to our gameplan and everything will work out.”
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