When one door closes another one opens, and that might be the case for Penrith Panthers winger Sunia Turuva after his breakout season in The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup last year.
Following the confirmation of winger Taylan May’s ACL injury during the World Club Challenge at Panthers Stadium on Saturday, the depth of the Panthers club could see Turuva – one of the try-scorers against St Helens – elevated to a starting role on the flank for the reigning NRL and NSW Cup premiers.
Affectionately known as ‘Tito’ amongst his teammates, Turuva is coming off a superb 2022 season which saw him named fullback in The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup Team of the Year.
He also made his NRL debut in Round 21 and went on to play a key role in Fiji Bati’s World Cup campaign after they reached the Quarter-final stage.
The 20-year-old excelled in the Penrith back five throughout his 20 NSW Cup appearances last year, having played at centre (three games), wing (four games) and fullback (13 games).
Turuva led the competition for kick return metres (967), ranked second for total run metres (3,392), and third for tackle busts (94). He scored 13 tries including a double in the Grand Final win over Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at CommBank Stadium.
He ticks just about all the boxes to fit the high work-rate mould of a modern day outside back, and is deceptively strong for his smaller frame.
The Panthers kick off their NRL season on 3 March at BlueBet Stadium and with a backline spot up for grabs, Turuva could very well be the next man up.
