A COVID break and a long-term facial injury have not stopped Sia Soliola from staying positive and playing footy, with the veteran re-signing with the Canberra Raiders.
The veteran forward still has juice left in the ticker as he makes Canberra his home both on and off the field.
Despite everything that has happened, Soliola is looking forward to getting stuck into playing footy once again.
“I’m really pumped. First and foremost, I want to thank the club for giving me another opportunity to play,” Soliola said.
“The year I’ve had has been a strange one but it’s really nice at 34 to be playing the game I love.
“I’m really enjoying it and it’s a great group of guys and I think this club is going to be a consistent title contender for the future and I want to be part of that.”
Soliola’s tireless community work off the field saw him win the 2019 Ken Stephens Medal, an honour he is proud of.
“I guess it’s just an automatic reflection on how I feel about the place, I love this game, I love this club and I want to give back because it’s given me so much and I’ve generated so much from it that its only right that I give something back,” he said.
“It’s an amazing game, so many people get so much out of it and everyone wins at the end of the day.”
Like many players, family is everything to them and Soliola’s family knew that Canberra was the place for them to be.
“My family and I love it here. The kids love it here especially my oldest boy,” Soliola continued.
“He was actually quite emotional given the potential idea of moving away because he loves this place and it’s all he knows.
“Canberra is an awesome place and I’m very thankful for the club for introducing me to it.”
