WORKINGTON Town this week revealed their sensational new signing - New Zealand A star Lusi Sione.
Capturing the free-scoring full back, who was the target of British talent scouts following his hat-trick against the Great Britain test side during last year’s junior Kiwi tour, is a massive coup for the club.
And no-one is more delighted than Workington boss Gerard Stokes, Sione’s former Canterbury Bulls and New Zealand A coach.
Stokes had nothing but praise for the recruit, who he first coached as a 17-year-old.
He told the Times & Star: “Lusi Sione is one of those players who not only scores a lot of tries, he is good at all factors of the game. But if there’s one part of it that’s strong, it’s in the air, both in attack and defence. He is a very, very good collector of the ball.
“And he directs the game well from the back and organises the defence, he is just the complete footballer, really.”
Stokes added that two of Sione’s hat-trick of tries against Great Britain came directly from kicks.
“Lusi took the ball out of the air to score, he is very capable of scoring those type of tries all the time,” he said.
Sione, 29, has scored 54 tries in 50 appearances for Canterbury and is regarded as one of the best players in New Zealand’s Bartercard competition.
He starred in New Zealand A’s clash with Cumbria at the Recreation Ground. He was one of the try-scorers during a spirited Kiwi fightback, which saw them come back from 24-0 down to draw level at 24-24.
The third New Zealander - after Jonny Limmer and John ‘JT’ Tuimaualuga - to join Town coach Stokes at Derwent Park, Sione has signed for the remainder of this season and all of next.
He is expected to arrive in this country within the next couple of weeks, once he has worked his notice, and will make his Workington debut either at Sheffield next Friday or at Gateshead the following weekend.
Town entertain Sheffield this weekend when Stokes will be looking for an improved defensive performance than that against Chorley, when they leaked 40 points.
He expects a tough encounter against last year’s beaten Grand Finalists, who topped NL2 at the end of the 2003 campaign.
Stokes said: “I know Sheffield are a settled side and they’ve got a point to prove after losing the final last year when they were pipped at the post by Keighley.
“They are a team that can play as well as they did last season and get where they got is one of the top teams in our competition.
“They’ve got a very strong forward pack but that is something we are starting to develop now.”
Stand-off Shaun Boylan picked up an injury during the 40-26 defeat at Chorley and is, said Stokes, 50-50 for Sunday’s National League Two clash. And prop Ricky Wright is struggling with a shoulder problem, so could also be a doubt.
l Hughie Rickerby, of Winscales, with ticket number 70, is the £200 prize-winner of the monthly 200 draw.
The £100 winners are: 189, Jean and Telf Cross, Workington; 31, Alan and Jean Bates, Gt Clifton; 172, Jeff Canfield, High Harrington.
l Ian Robinson, of Workington, ticket B4467, is today’s £100 winner of the Town Flyer lottery draw.
Other winners this week were: Monday, Mrs Irving, Netherton, A3985; Tuesday, E Lowes, Cockermouth, B2293; Wednesday, Mr Hucknall, Moorclose, B9745; Thursday, David Bowe, Cockermouth, A6844.
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