Ultra-versatile back Peta Hiku’s Kiwis career has spanned more than a decade, earning New Zealand selection from five different clubs during a colourful NRL and Super League career.
The Manurewa Marlins product starred for the Warriors’ NYC team in 2012 and represented the Junior Kiwis, before being snapped up by Manly. In a fine rookie season, he featured at wing, fullback and centre for the heavyweight Sea Eagles but missed the club’s grand final appearance.
A New Zealand debut followed after just 20 NRL outings, playing fullback in the spirited 2014 Anzac Test loss in Sydney. Hiku retained the No.1 jersey throughout the end-of-year Four Nations tournament and played an impressive role in the Kiwis’ triumph.
With Roger Tuivasa-Sheck emerging as one of the game’s best fullbacks, Hiku shifted to centre for the momentous 2015 Anzac Test win in Brisbane, while he showed his adaptability again on the post-season tour of England by playing five-eighth in all three Tests.
Hiku linked with Penrith in 2016 but only managed 20 games for the club, joining Warrington midway through 2017 and scoring 10 tries in 11 Super League appearances. That tryscoring hot streak continued in his only outing at the 2017 World Cup, crossing for a hat-trick in the Kiwis’ 74-6 defeat of Scotland in Christchurch.
Snapped up by the Warriors, Hiku found the backline competition stiff in the Kiwis’ ranks and the Denver Test against England was his only game for his country in 2018-19. He was one of the Warriors’ best during their arduous, COVID-stricken 2020 campaign but injury restricted him to just 10 games in 2021.
Hiku was lured to North Queensland and the veteran enjoyed arguably a career-best season in the centres as the Cowboys stormed to a top-four finish and a preliminary final appearance, playing all 26 games. Meanwhile, four years and one day after his last appearance for the Kiwis, Hiku produced a strong 108-metre display in the mid-2022 win over Tonga at his hold Mt Smart stomping ground and headed to the World Cup as a key figure for Michael Maguire’s side.
The 29-year-old featured in all five of the Kiwis’ games at the tournament and scored four tries – including a double against Ireland.
An instinctive and elusive ball-runner with 60 NRL tries to his credit, Hiku’s slick ball skills and peerless ability to create space for his supports also garnered more than 50 try-assists in 201 games in the premiership. He left the Cowboys for Hull KR at the end of 2023, scoring 16 tries in the club’s drive to the 2024 Super League grand final – and garnering a Kiwis recall as the only non-NRL-based player in the squad.
Hiku played all three matches and produced flashes of the old magic during the Pacific Championships, making two line-breaks and 144 metres against Tonga, and producing a trademark try assist and 112 metres against Papua New Guinea – the latter marking his 20th Test for New Zealand.
