Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Born
- Sunday, 1st January, 1967
- Current Age
- 59 years and 87 days
Honours & Awards
Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.
- Test Series
- Papua New Guinea vs New Zealand 1990, New Zealand vs France 1991, Papua New Guinea vs New Zealand 1994
- NRL Premiership
- 1999
- Regal Trophy
- 1993/1994
- Yorkshire Cup
- 1991/1992
Biography
Crunching NZ Test forward was an important part of Cronulla’s success in the 1997 Super League season. A veteran of English club football (York, Sheffield and Castleford) Nikau made his Test debut against Great Britain in 1990. Nikau last represented his country in the ANZac Test in 1997 but declined to play for the Kiwis because of a feud with team-mate Richie Blackmore. In 1998 he was recruited by the Melbourne Storm and was a driving force in the infant club’s grand final win in 1999. The following year he signed with Warrington and captained the Maori squad in the World Cup competition. At the end of the 2001 season Nikau planned to return to the Sharks and renew his association with former Melbourne coach Chris Anderson but the death of his wife in England saw him return to NZ where he coached Waikato to premiership victory. Nikau later lost his right leg in a motorbike accident and his courageous battle to overcome these tragedies is outlined in his 2004 autobiography, Standing Tall.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Playing Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
| Representative Career - International | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests (Senior International Matches) | - | 22 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 45.45% | List | ||||
| Other International Matches | - | 3 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Anzac Tests | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| World Cup | - | 8 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 62.50% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | Auckland | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | New Zealand | - | 9 | 3 | - | - | 12 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 66.67% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | New Zealand Maori | - | 3 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | |||
| Test Series | 3 | 16 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| Club Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| ARL/Super League/NRL Premiership | 1 | 114 | 12 | - | - | 48 | 76 | 35 | 3 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| ARL/Super League/NRL Finals | - | 16 | - | - | - | - | 8 | 8 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| Club Career - UK | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| English Championship | - | 129 | 23 | - | - | 92 | 74 | 48 | 7 | 57.36% | List | ||||
| Premiership Trophy | - | 8 | - | - | - | - | 4 | 4 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| Super League | - | 51 | 7 | - | - | 28 | 21 | 28 | 2 | 41.18% | List | ||||
| Challenge Cup | - | 25 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 16 | 9 | 0 | 64.00% | List | ||||
| Regal Trophy | 1 | 18 | 3 | - | - | 12 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 72.22% | List | ||||
| Yorkshire Cup | 1 | 5 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.00% | List | ||||
| UK Top Division | - | 180 | 30 | - | - | 120 | 95 | 76 | 9 | 52.78% | List | ||||
| UK Second Division | - | 23 | 3 | - | - | 12 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 69.57% | List | ||||
| Overall | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||||
| First Class | 379 | 57 | - | - | 228 | 249 | 166 | 14 | 65.70% | List | |||||
Test Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| New Zealand | 1990-94, 1997 | 19 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 47.37% | List | ||||
| NZ Maori | 2000 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1990-2000 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 45.45% | List | ||||
International Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| NZ Maori | 2000 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
World Cup Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| New Zealand | 1990-92 | 5 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.00% | List | ||||
| NZ Maori | 2000 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1990-2000 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 62.50% | List | ||||
Australia - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Waikato | 1987 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| Auckland | 1989-90 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1987-1990 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
ARL/Super League/NRL Premiership - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Cronulla | ARL 1995 | 15 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Cronulla | ARL 1996 | 24 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Cronulla | Super League 1997 | 22 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 63.64% | List | ||||
| Melbourne | NRL 1998 | 27 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Melbourne | NRL 1999 | 26 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 69.23% | List | ||||
ARL/Super League/NRL Premiership - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Cronulla | 1995-97 | 61 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 40 | 19 | 2 | 65.57% | List | ||||
| Melbourne | 1998-99 | 53 | 8 | - | - | 32 | 36 | 16 | 1 | 67.92% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1995-1999 | 114 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 76 | 35 | 3 | 66.67% | List | ||||
English Career - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Sheffield | 1989/90 | 10 | 5 | - | - | 20 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 60.00% | List | ||||
| Ryedale-York | 1990/91 | 25 | 3 | - | - | 12 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 64.00% | List | ||||
| Castleford | 1991/92 | 38 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 36 | 14 | 2 | 94.74% | List | ||||
| Castleford | 1992/93 | 36 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 26 | 19 | 1 | 72.22% | List | ||||
| Castleford | 1993/94 | 42 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 39 | 14 | 1 | 92.86% | List | ||||
| Castleford | 1994/95 | 32 | 8 | - | - | 32 | 23 | 13 | 2 | 71.88% | List | ||||
| Castleford | 1995/96 | 16 | 3 | - | - | 12 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 37.50% | List | ||||
| Castleford | 1996 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| Warrington | 2000 | 31 | 3 | - | - | 12 | 19 | 16 | 0 | 61.29% | List | ||||
| Warrington | 2001 | 28 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 14 | 16 | 2 | 50.00% | List | ||||
English Career - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Sheffield | 1989 | 10 | 5 | - | - | 20 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| Ryedale-York | 1990 | 25 | 3 | - | - | 12 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 64.00% | List | ||||
| Castleford | 1991-96 | 165 | 25 | - | - | 100 | 100 | 58 | 7 | 60.61% | List | ||||
| Warrington | 2000-01 | 59 | 9 | - | - | 36 | 27 | 30 | 2 | 45.76% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1989-2001 | 259 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 168 | 148 | 100 | 11 | 57.14% | List | ||||
Contributions:
Rugby League Tables, Greg Fiveash, Andrew Ferguson, AJ Lucantonio, Paul Carter, Shawn Dollin, Max Turner, Alan Katzmann, Tim Costello, Bill Bates
Sources:
David Middleton's Rugby League Yearbook (1987-88 to present), Big League, Richard Bailey's Rugby League World , Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook (1981-82 to 1999), Irvin Saxton's Record Keepers' Club
Your Say
09/01/2010
A former Canterbury lower grader Nikau scored the last ever try in a first grade match at Belmore Sportsground. He scored that try For Melbourne during their 8-4 loss to Canterbury in 1998.
26/06/2025
Great player for Cas
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