When Peta Hiku signed on with the Cowboys last year he knew he was joining a talented group who could eventually challenge the NRL’s top sides, but didn’t think it was a realistic expectation for 2022.
The 10-season veteran said the 12-month turnaround is unlike anything he has experienced before in his career, with North Queensland going from a seven-win team who finished 15th last year to now sit second on the Telstra Premiership ladder with three games left in the regular season.
“To be honest we have gone past what I thought, like I knew we would get here one day but I didn't know we would get here as soon as we have,” Hiku told jetwinvip.com.
I knew we would get to play like this at some stage, but I didn't know we were connecting to go so well so early.
Peta Hiku
“When I signed here, I sort of watched them and you could see the way they played, they could get out to a start very well and were just a young team that loves to play footy. But what they needed was someone to steer the ship around.
“That's where Chad [Townsend] has come in and done a very good job. We have got players who can do some freakish things, but Chad has just put everything into place and showed us how to finish sets and ice games.
“I think just the way Todd [Payten] handled the group as well, he was tough on us all during the pre-season, but tough in a good way, and he understands how some players work.”
Hiku sneaks through
On Friday night Hiku will face the Warriors for the second time since he left the club following four seasons with them, with their earlier meeting in Round 5 ending in the Cowboys suffering one of their six defeats for the year.
Having lived through the ordeal of relocating and working out of temporary bases with the Warriors in 2020 and 2021, Hiku said he is grateful for the more settled life the move to Townsville has given him and his family.
“Coming into this year [with the Cowboys] and knowing what we were doing, we knew how and when we would be travelling, and it sort of makes it easier, it makes life a lot easier with the family anyway,” Hiku said.
“We have two boys, so we were literally having to pack up a house each time [the club relocated]. That was probably the hardest part and we had a newborn at the time.
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“The Warriors are still going through a tough time. I know they have got games back at home, but it's not really a home game for them because they're still living here (in Australia).”
Despite making the finals in each of his first two seasons as a first-grader at Manly, this year will be just the fourth time Hiku has played in the post season, with a one-and-out finals appearance with the Warriors in 2018 the only other time he has advanced beyond the regular season.