St Helens star Sione Mata’utia excited to lock horns with brother Peter

Drew Darbyshire

St Helens’ new signing Sione Mata’utia says he is looking forward to coming up against his older brother Peter when they face Castleford.

The 24-year-old back-rower has joined reigning Super League champions Saints ahead of the 2021 season from NRL side Newcastle Knights.

Sione’s older brother Peter plays for the Tigers, and the pair will lock horns when Castleford host St Helens at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle on July 1.

Sione said: “I’m not sure if you’ve seen any past footage but any time we come up against each other as brothers it’s been pretty vicious!

“Peter played my two older brothers (Chanel & Pat) as well in reserve-grade back home in Aus in a semi-final and pushed him into a fence!

“I think the most important thing is that when we were growing up, Peter was someone that we all looked up to as brothers and he was the first guy to show us how to do it.

“His main quote was always ‘there’s no friends on the field’. I had that in my head growing up.

“Its been pretty vicious but I better talk to Woolfy (Kristian Woolf, Saints coach) and see if I can request to play the centre opposite him coming up in the Jungle when we’re playing so we’ll see how we go!”

Mata’utia made his international debut for Australia back in 2014 but has since represented Samoa, and he is keen to play in his first World Cup at the end of the year.

He said: “I last played for Samoa, I played for Australia in 2014 which is a long time ago now.

“I’m not sure with the rules around that in whether I can play for Australia or not, but I think I’m definitely eligible to play for Samoa from over here. Either team I’d be excited to play for but you know the old saying is play good footy for the club first and that those rewards will come later.

“I haven’t been part of a World Cup so that would be something that I’m looking forward to try and work towards. It’s definitely a goal, for sure.”

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