Former Knights captain Sione Mata'utia has revealed a desire to return to the NRL as he prepares to chase his third consecutive Super League title with St Helens.
In Australia with his powerhouse English club to participate in the NRL's Pre-Season Challenge, Mata'utia spoke to the Newcastle Herald ahead of his side's clash with St George Illawarra in Wollongong tonight.
The 26-year-old, who left the Knights in late 2020 with a year to run on his contract, has won back-to-back premierships the past two years, which follow a pair the club won before he got there.
It's been an incredible change in fortunes for the back-rower/centre, who was part of the Newcastle sides that collected three consecutive wooden spoons (2015-17) and in seven seasons only once got to play finals.
Mata'utia now views his Knights departure, which the club encouraged, as a move that kept him in the game.
"Looking back on it now, it was probably one of those things that saved my career a little bit. It brought the love of footy back," the South Newcastle junior said, speaking from Sydney where St Helens were based this week.
"This is my last year in England and hopefully there is some interest back home here and to getting back and playing with someone here, but if not - it is what it is.
"I've loved the decision of going over there. I've learnt so much and it got me out of my comfort zone. I probably got a bit too comfortable in Newcastle, if I'm honest.
"I came to a club that ... when I rocked up, there were eight English international players, so I sort of had to reinvent myself and make a name for myself, which is probably what I needed."
Mata'utia played down his contribution to St Helens' sustained success, saying he had simply played his role in a highly professional outfit.
In an indiction of just how much the Knights struggled during his years at the club, Mata'utia said he found consistently winning matches in England "weird" initially.
"I had to be on the jump from the start, they just demand standards," he said.
"It was something that took me by shock, because I never really had that accountability. It made me a better player and taught me a lot about professionalism.
"The success was weird. Winning was normal for us, and I'd never actually had that feeling. The flip side of that is, every team wants to beat St Helens so every week is a really hard game.
"It gets a bit rough at times whereas when I was at Newcastle, we were sort of at the bottom of the table for many years and a team that was always rebuilding.
"I thought every year we were rebuilding when I was there, until the last year [2020] when we made the first week of the finals."
Mata'utia, who played 124 NRL games, has largely managed to avoid any of the serious head-knocks in England that at one stage seemed to be plaguing his career at the Knights. Describing himself as a "lab rat" at a time when the NRL was developing more stringent rules around concussion, he is pleased the matter is taken so seriously.
"Going through all that years ago, I had to change a few things," he said.
"I was only 19, 20. There wasn't much knowledge of it back then. At the time, I was with the lead researcher ... and was sort of the first lab rat, me and a few other players doing some tests.
"It's slowly moving over to England, which is good. It can only benefit the players."
Mata'utia was initially hesitant on moving overseas and had considered giving the game away, but he is now in the third year of his St Helens deal - an option the club activated. He married his partner late last year in his first trip back to Australia and with a young family is now eyeing a permanent return. But his focus remains with St Helens as they chase a fifth consecutive title.
"When I first went to England, it was over and said and done. I never wanted to come back and was probably going to retire after England," he said of returning to the NRL.
"Never say never, we'll see how we go. I haven't locked in anything as of yet."
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