Five tries may not be enough for Ikuvalu
He is the first Sydney Rooster to 得点する／非難する／２０ five tries in a match in 65 years.
Yet it may not be enough to save 交替／補充 winger Matt Ikuvalu from the NRL axe.
But Ikuvalu reckons he is just happy to have finally tasted NRL again after 追加するing another 一時期／支部 to his remarkable tale.
By 権利s, Ikuvalu shouldn't have been playing against North Queensland in Thursday night's NRL 衝突／不一致 in Townsville.
However, just 20 minutes before kickoff he got the nod after 退役軍人 winger Brett Morris 苦しむd a groin niggle in the warm-up.
By the 64th minute, Ikuvalu had become the first Rooster to 捕らえる、獲得する five tries in a match since Brian Allsop in 1955 as the two-time defending 支持する／優勝者s romped home 42-16.
He had 得点する／非難する／２０d four tries in his previous 15 games since his 2018 debut.
"Every time I warm up I have to be 100 per cent just in 事例／患者 something happens - I （機の）カム in with a good mindset," Ikuvalu said of his call-up.
However, Ikuvalu may not play again any time soon if Morris 打ち勝つs his niggle.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson 認める it would be a 堅い call after Ikuvalu answered their SOS and impressed in just his third game of 2020 and first since March.
"He deserves real credit for 準備," he said.
"You see (James) Tedesco and the Morris twins and all that but then there is a group of (reserves) guys who are fighting tooth and nail to 成し遂げる.
"They just get to train really hard and they may not play this year (with no reserve grade) or get the call up 20 minutes before kickoff to 成し遂げる and then you have to 配達する for your club.
"He (Ikuvalu) is a 広大な／多数の／重要な story."
Indeed he is.
Ikuvalu gave up rugby league in 2016 予定 to niggling 傷害s and decided to 熟考する／考慮する education at university.
But by late 2017 he was training with the Tri-Colours after impressing with Roosters feeder club Wyong Roos after deciding to juggle his 熟考する／考慮するs and play on 週末s "for fun".
He still had a day 職業 as a shoe salesman on NSW's Central Coast when he was asked to make his NRL debut at 24 in 一連の会議、交渉／完成する 13 in 2018.
Now off-契約, Ikuvalu, 26, said he still dreamed of becoming a teacher and was happy to 簡単に enjoy any NRL game that （機の）カム his way.
"I'm still doing the teaching (degree), nearly finished that," he said.
"It's always a blessing just to get a game with these boys. It's still a bit surreal to be able to play with such a 広大な／多数の／重要な team."
一方／合間, the Roosters will 監視する Morris and hooker Jake Friend (長，率いる knock) ahead of next week's 衝突／不一致 with Canberra.
