Can Veainu and Polota-Nau Lift Up Leicester Tigers’ Spirit?
The 2017 English Premiership might already be in full blast, but the Leicester Tigers are still looking to get the “best of the best” for the team? Sounds metaphoric? Well, that’s what’s really happening as they’re having a newcomer to the team, Polota-Nau, and their elite player, Telusa Veainu, has just agreed on a contract extension.
Recent reports have it that the Tongan rugby player finished signing the deal that cements his status as a permanent key player in the club. This isn’t surprising at all as he showcased his prowess in the field with the five tries he scored over his eight game appearances last season.
Take note that it’s still his third year playing in the club, and he’s already perfectly in-sync with it. In his own words, Veainu describes the Leicester Tigers as his “home away from home”. And because of it, he feels very settled and comfortable with his current team.
He wanted to win more championships, and that he sees his time playing with the Tigers as a means to accomplish that goal. He even treats his fellow teammates like family, just like how he says that he can’t leave Ellis Genge on his own.
To prove how valuable of a player Veainu is to the Tigers, he contributed 23 tries throughout the total of 48 appearances he had with the club. This is an exemplary accomplishment compared to the average scored tries of other rugby players in the Premiership.
By having him signed a contract extension, Leicester won’t surely plummet in the league’s rankings. But aside from having their star player extend his stay with the team, the Tigers also signed another top-gun in the like of Tatafu Polota-Nau.
The 32-year-old Australian has just been acquired by the club last Nov. 9. He was once a player for the Greater Sydney Rams. But after realizing that he’s far better off overseas, he decided to try out his luck in English Rugby. He’s had a truckload of experiences, having played over 140 games in Super Rugby and contributing 78 Test caps.
Tigers Head Coach, Matt O’Connor, describes Polota-Nau as a fierce player who’ll be very useful to the team thanks to his Super Rugby experience. The Tigers have welcomed Polota-Nau wholeheartedly, saying that they’re very delighted to have him on board.
Now, they feel they’re stronger than ever thanks to the many international players they have on the team. For sure, he’ll do pretty well with Dan Cole, Tom Youngs, and Logo Mulipola, who are also great front-rowers.
So what does the addition of Polota-Nau and Veainu’s contract extension mean? Well, the answer to that is simple — now, they have a better chance of winning this year’s English Premiership.
Though they’re not yet at the top of the game as they have 26/5 odds and are on the 4th spot of the rankings, they’re not left too far behind. The Wasps’ 24/5 odds and the Exeter Chief’s 19/10 odds might be better, but it’s expected that the Tigers are going to overtake them in the months to come.
What the Tigers need to set their eyes on are the Saracens who have 10/11 odds and are on top of the ladder. If they make it past them, then there’s no going back as they’ll surely be championship contenders.
When placing a bet at http://www.freebets.co.uk/, you can choose any of those teams. Just don’t pick Worcester and London Irish as they are the biggest underdogs in the league where both have 2500/1 odds.
