Castleford’s Peter Mata’utia out to show mum he never lost goal kicking touch
Tigers ace would also show his cousin, Wakefield Trinity's Pauli Pauli, as they go head to head in West Yorkshire derby
PETER Mata’utia is ready to make it a family affair by showing his mother that he never lost his goalkicking talents – despite getting injured when he took one previously.
The Castleford ace has slotted over 10 of his 11 attempts, the other hitting the post, since taking on the duties for the first time ever in senior club rugby league.
And the Samoan star hopes to keep that run going as he tastes the fierce rivalry between the Tigers and Wakefield for the first time in front of two interested spectators – watching mum Matalena, who has flown over, and his cousin, Trinity’s Pauli Pauli.
Making sure a repeat of his last attempt before starting this current streak because of injuries to other kickers does not happen would be enough.
“It was at the World Cup for Samoa against New Zealand and I tore my thigh muscle,” recalled Mata’utia.
“But I’d always kicked through junior rugby and my mum has seen me do it enough times. It’s just that when I was in the NRL, teams had better goal kickers.
“So I’d never kicked in first team, not even in training. Now I’m wishing that I’d never hit the post in the one against Leeds that missed!
“I line the ball up with the black dot on the posts, then take steps back and to my left, then go for it. The last time I kicked, I would’ve been 18 or 20-years-old.
“Now having my mum over here is going to be great, especially with me playing Pauli. She’s his auntie, so we’re going to meet up.
“But she’s watched me kick goals since I was a kid, so it won’t be a new skill to her.”
The Mata’utia-Pauli clash is not the only dazzling thing on display as Cas and Wakey go head-to-head – and Trinity prop David Fifita knows Super League chiefs will not be happy at his pink cycling shorts.
And the star, currently top of the Steve Prescott Man of Steel table and with a new three-year contract in his back pocket, revealed the story behind them and how he almost came a cropper because of them.
Fifita said: “Super League don’t like them, do they?
“This year, I said to my wife Jade, ‘This year’s for you.’ Her name’s written on them and also to raise awareness for breast cancer as one of my aunties went through some trouble.
“But the sponsor who sent them to me sent the wrong size originally. I would have played in long ones, so I was like, ‘What are you sending me here?’
“I was close to cutting them but he told me if I cut them they’d shred, so I said, ‘I can’t have that, I’d be running around with no undies on!’”
