Tigers forward Stefano Utoikamanu has stated his commitment to the club, despite holding a clause in his contract that will allow him to sign with another team if the Tigers miss the finals in 2024.
On the back of two consecutive wooden spoons, the smart money would suggest the Tigers won’t be playing finals football this season, but the club has now begun a new era with rookie coach Benji Marshall at the helm.
Utoikamanu, who has played 51 games with the Tigers since joining the club in 2021, told the SMH that he wants to “give back to the club”.
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“I’m trying to focus on making the top eight, that’s what I want to do. I want to stay at the Tigers,” Utoikamanu said.
“I’ve loved every minute I’ve been here. They’ve given me my big opportunity to become the player I am now.
“I haven’t listened (to the speculation).
“Benji is big on ‘team first’, and putting others before yourself, so that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Utoikamanu had a strong campaign in a bad team last year, which resulted in a somewhat surprising maiden Blues jersey.
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Justly or unjustly, Utoikamanu only played 12 minutes off the bench for NSW in Game II before being dropped.
In another representative blow, the 23-year-old wasn’t in new Blues coach Michael Maguire’s 35-man squad which met at NSWRL headquarters over the weekend.
While it means Utoikamanu’s Blues hopes appear slim this season, he said Maguire did contact him.
“He gave me a call, he said he wasn’t going to include me in the squad, but he didn’t really say too much else,” Utoikamanu said.
