Briton
Nikora
Bay of Plenty product Briton Nikora began 2019 as a relative unknown. He finished the season entrenched in Cronulla’s back-row with four New Zealand Test caps under his belt.
Nikora moved to the Gold Coast with his family in 2007 and honed his rugby league skills at famed breeding ground Keebra Park State High School. He caught the Sharks’ eye and scored 16 tries in 25 under-20s games for the club in 2016-17, earning a place in the NYC Team of the Year and representing the Junior Kiwis in the latter season.
After spending 2018 with feeder club Newtown Jets, Nikora was a second-row starter for the Sharks in Round 1 of the 2019 NRL season. He immediately impressed with his ability to hit a hole – making seven line-breaks his first five games – and formed a lethal combination with playmaker Shaun Johnson on the right edge.
The pair reprised their partnership on the international stage in June when Nikora received a Kiwis call-up for the Mt Smart showdown with Tonga after just 12 NRL appearances. The 21-year-old wore the No.12 jumper, running for over 100 metres and racking up 25 tackles in a strong debut as the Kiwis prevailed 34-14.
Nikora featured in all but one of Cronulla’s 25 games and finished a stellar rookie year with seven tries. The tyro then starred for New Zealand during the inaugural World Cup Nines and retained his second-row spot for all three of the Kiwis’ post-season internationals against Australia and Great Britain, enhancing his reputation as a hardworking defender as well as a dangerous ball-runner.
Nikora featured in Māori All Stars’ victory over Indigenous All Stars during the 2020 pre-season, while he scored six tries and averaged 33 tackles in 16 games in his sophomore NRL campaign for the Sharks.
After representing the Māori All Stars again in 2021, the 23-year-old brought up his 50th appearance for Cronulla, playing 22 of the Sharks’ 24 games and crossing for four tries. He was later named in the Kiwis’ wider squad for the following year’s World Cup.
Nikora was a mainstay of the Sharks' push to the top four in 2022 and was one of just four survivors from the Kiwis' previous Test three years earlier to be named in the 17 to take on Tonga in the mid-season Test in Auckland. He made a busy contribution off the bench in New Zealand's 26-6 win.
Scoring a maiden NRL hat-trick as Cronulla secured a second-placed finish in 2022, the back-row mainstay featured in the clubs playoffs campaign before setting off to England with the Kiwis' World Cup squad. Nikora made it 10 consecutive Test appearances by featuring in all five matches; he scored a try against Jamaica, started at centre against Ireland, came off the bench to score a vital try in the quarter-final escape against Fiji, and was in the second-row for the gallant semi-final loss to Australia.
Nikora maintained his form despite the Sharks' slight downturn in 2023, passing the 100-game milestone in the NRL and crossing for eight tries in 25 appearances, as well as representing Māori All Stars for a fourth straight year. He was one of the most experienced engine-room campaigners named in a youthful Kiwis squad for the Pacific Championships.
Maintaining his impressive tryscoring strike-rate by dotting down in the 50-0 win over Samoa and the 36-18 loss to Australia, Nikora made a line-break and ran for 111 metres in the Kiwis spectacular 30-0 rout of the Kangaroos in the Hamilton-hosted final.
Missing the 2024 Kiwis campaign due to injury, Nikora was recalled to the squad for the 2025 Pacific Championships after another consistent season with the Sharks as they progressed through to Preliminary Finals. He played all three Test matches in the Kiwis' winning campaign, including a standout performance in the final against Toa Samoa where he topped the tackle count with 30, produced one line break, and four tackle breaks from nine hit ups.
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Briton
Nikora
Bay of Plenty product Briton Nikora began 2019 as a relative unknown. He finished the season entrenched in Cronulla’s back-row with four New Zealand Test caps under his belt.
Nikora moved to the Gold Coast with his family in 2007 and honed his rugby league skills at famed breeding ground Keebra Park State High School. He caught the Sharks’ eye and scored 16 tries in 25 under-20s games for the club in 2016-17, earning a place in the NYC Team of the Year and representing the Junior Kiwis in the latter season.
After spending 2018 with feeder club Newtown Jets, Nikora was a second-row starter for the Sharks in Round 1 of the 2019 NRL season. He immediately impressed with his ability to hit a hole – making seven line-breaks his first five games – and formed a lethal combination with playmaker Shaun Johnson on the right edge.
The pair reprised their partnership on the international stage in June when Nikora received a Kiwis call-up for the Mt Smart showdown with Tonga after just 12 NRL appearances. The 21-year-old wore the No.12 jumper, running for over 100 metres and racking up 25 tackles in a strong debut as the Kiwis prevailed 34-14.
Nikora featured in all but one of Cronulla’s 25 games and finished a stellar rookie year with seven tries. The tyro then starred for New Zealand during the inaugural World Cup Nines and retained his second-row spot for all three of the Kiwis’ post-season internationals against Australia and Great Britain, enhancing his reputation as a hardworking defender as well as a dangerous ball-runner.
Nikora featured in Māori All Stars’ victory over Indigenous All Stars during the 2020 pre-season, while he scored six tries and averaged 33 tackles in 16 games in his sophomore NRL campaign for the Sharks.
After representing the Māori All Stars again in 2021, the 23-year-old brought up his 50th appearance for Cronulla, playing 22 of the Sharks’ 24 games and crossing for four tries. He was later named in the Kiwis’ wider squad for the following year’s World Cup.
Nikora was a mainstay of the Sharks' push to the top four in 2022 and was one of just four survivors from the Kiwis' previous Test three years earlier to be named in the 17 to take on Tonga in the mid-season Test in Auckland. He made a busy contribution off the bench in New Zealand's 26-6 win.
Scoring a maiden NRL hat-trick as Cronulla secured a second-placed finish in 2022, the back-row mainstay featured in the clubs playoffs campaign before setting off to England with the Kiwis' World Cup squad. Nikora made it 10 consecutive Test appearances by featuring in all five matches; he scored a try against Jamaica, started at centre against Ireland, came off the bench to score a vital try in the quarter-final escape against Fiji, and was in the second-row for the gallant semi-final loss to Australia.
Nikora maintained his form despite the Sharks' slight downturn in 2023, passing the 100-game milestone in the NRL and crossing for eight tries in 25 appearances, as well as representing Māori All Stars for a fourth straight year. He was one of the most experienced engine-room campaigners named in a youthful Kiwis squad for the Pacific Championships.
Maintaining his impressive tryscoring strike-rate by dotting down in the 50-0 win over Samoa and the 36-18 loss to Australia, Nikora made a line-break and ran for 111 metres in the Kiwis spectacular 30-0 rout of the Kangaroos in the Hamilton-hosted final.
Missing the 2024 Kiwis campaign due to injury, Nikora was recalled to the squad for the 2025 Pacific Championships after another consistent season with the Sharks as they progressed through to Preliminary Finals. He played all three Test matches in the Kiwis' winning campaign, including a standout performance in the final against Toa Samoa where he topped the tackle count with 30, produced one line break, and four tackle breaks from nine hit ups.
PROFILE
Height M
185
WEIGHT KG
95
DOB
Dec 7, 1997
HIGHLIGHTS
Test matches
16
Test points
16
CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS (2019-present)
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Origin lessons driving Nikora's premiership quest with the Sharks
Cronulla forward Briton Nikora has vowed to draw on the experience of a maiden Origin series as he looks to lead the Sharks back to the NRL finals.
The back rower made his Queensland debut in the interstate contest and impressed for the Maroons despite their loss to NSW in a tense Suncorp Stadium decider.
Nikora was handed a rest by Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon before returning for last week's tight win over the Knights. He will line up in the back-row for Sunday's clash with Manly at 4 Pines Park as the Sharks look to solidify their place in the top four.
Cronulla have progressed to the preliminary final in the past two seasons but have fallen short of a grand final berth and this season looms as the current squad's best chance to win a title before a host of players depart.
Having had a taste of the Origin furnace, Nikora is eager to draw on that experience throughout the upcoming finals series.
"It's exciting to be back with the Sharks after that experience," Nikora told NRL.com. "There's a lot there that I can draw upon leading into the finals. The atmosphere, the games, the intensity of the play.
"It's not just the physical side but mentally preparing myself for those games, it takes a lot to mentally prepare and there is a lot throughout the week leading into the game.
"I'll take those physical lessons and all the mental lessons with me if I play in those big games with the Sharks."
A mainstay in the Kiwis forward pack for the past few years, Nikora's Queensland debut came after eligibility rules were changed earlier this year to allow New Zealand and England players to contest State of Origin.
The forward was 10 when his family moved from New Zealand to the Gold Coast and playing for the Maroons quickly developed into a childhood goal.
After coming off the bench in Game One, the back-rower started in the second and third matches and was among the Maroons' best throughout the series.
While Queensland ultimately lost in the decider, Nikora said there were plenty of lessons learned from coach Billy Slater and his teammates that will hold him in good stead moving forward.
"It was a dream come true," Nikora said. "I never thought I'd see the day and I was so grateful for the opportunity that Billy gave me and the faith Billy and the coaching staff had in me to put that jersey on. I don't take it lightly and it was an honour to do it.
"I learned a lot off Billy and the coaching staff. The detail he shows with his coaching and the focus on the little effort areas. That's what I'm trying to bring back to the Sharks. I want to come back a better player than I was, I want to lift my game and do what I've got to do for the team."
Nikora was one of three Sharks to feature in the Origin series, with Blayke Brailey and Addin Fonua-Blake playing a key role in the Blues' victory.
Fonua-Blake has brushed off a pec concern to be named for this week's clash with the Sea Eagles, while Brailey has hit the ground running since returning from a broken arm midway through the campaign.
The trio are set to play a key role in Cronulla's run to the finals, with history suggesting Origin experience is a key indicator of premiership success.
It's an area the club has been lacking in recent years and coach Craig Fitzgibbon can already see the impact upon the group's return to the Shire.
"I really respect the way Addin, Blayke and Brit have come back and shown how much the club means to them, of wanting to play and play well," Fitzgibbon said.
As seen on nrl.com
Biography
Last updated:
May 11, 2026
Bay of Plenty product Briton Nikora began 2019 as a relative unknown. He finished the season entrenched in Cronulla’s back-row with four New Zealand Test caps under his belt.
Nikora moved to the Gold Coast with his family in 2007 and honed his rugby league skills at famed breeding ground Keebra Park State High School. He caught the Sharks’ eye and scored 16 tries in 25 under-20s games for the club in 2016-17, earning a place in the NYC Team of the Year and representing the Junior Kiwis in the latter season.
After spending 2018 with feeder club Newtown Jets, Nikora was a second-row starter for the Sharks in Round 1 of the 2019 NRL season. He immediately impressed with his ability to hit a hole – making seven line-breaks his first five games – and formed a lethal combination with playmaker Shaun Johnson on the right edge.
The pair reprised their partnership on the international stage in June when Nikora received a Kiwis call-up for the Mt Smart showdown with Tonga after just 12 NRL appearances. The 21-year-old wore the No.12 jumper, running for over 100 metres and racking up 25 tackles in a strong debut as the Kiwis prevailed 34-14.
Nikora featured in all but one of Cronulla’s 25 games and finished a stellar rookie year with seven tries. The tyro then starred for New Zealand during the inaugural World Cup Nines and retained his second-row spot for all three of the Kiwis’ post-season internationals against Australia and Great Britain, enhancing his reputation as a hardworking defender as well as a dangerous ball-runner.
Nikora featured in Māori All Stars’ victory over Indigenous All Stars during the 2020 pre-season, while he scored six tries and averaged 33 tackles in 16 games in his sophomore NRL campaign for the Sharks.
After representing the Māori All Stars again in 2021, the 23-year-old brought up his 50th appearance for Cronulla, playing 22 of the Sharks’ 24 games and crossing for four tries. He was later named in the Kiwis’ wider squad for the following year’s World Cup.
Nikora was a mainstay of the Sharks' push to the top four in 2022 and was one of just four survivors from the Kiwis' previous Test three years earlier to be named in the 17 to take on Tonga in the mid-season Test in Auckland. He made a busy contribution off the bench in New Zealand's 26-6 win.
Scoring a maiden NRL hat-trick as Cronulla secured a second-placed finish in 2022, the back-row mainstay featured in the clubs playoffs campaign before setting off to England with the Kiwis' World Cup squad. Nikora made it 10 consecutive Test appearances by featuring in all five matches; he scored a try against Jamaica, started at centre against Ireland, came off the bench to score a vital try in the quarter-final escape against Fiji, and was in the second-row for the gallant semi-final loss to Australia.
Nikora maintained his form despite the Sharks' slight downturn in 2023, passing the 100-game milestone in the NRL and crossing for eight tries in 25 appearances, as well as representing Māori All Stars for a fourth straight year. He was one of the most experienced engine-room campaigners named in a youthful Kiwis squad for the Pacific Championships.
Maintaining his impressive tryscoring strike-rate by dotting down in the 50-0 win over Samoa and the 36-18 loss to Australia, Nikora made a line-break and ran for 111 metres in the Kiwis spectacular 30-0 rout of the Kangaroos in the Hamilton-hosted final.
Missing the 2024 Kiwis campaign due to injury, Nikora was recalled to the squad for the 2025 Pacific Championships after another consistent season with the Sharks as they progressed through to Preliminary Finals. He played all three Test matches in the Kiwis' winning campaign, including a standout performance in the final against Toa Samoa where he topped the tackle count with 30, produced one line break, and four tackle breaks from nine hit ups.
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