Prolific winger Maika Sivo has set a target date for his long-awaited Leeds Rhinos debut.

The Fijian superstar joined Rhinos from Parramatta Eels a year ago, but is yet to make his competitive debut after missing the entire 2025 campaign with an anterior cruciate ligament (acl) injury suffered late in pre-season. He recently underwent another operation on his damaged knee, but is in light training and told the Yorkshire Evening Post he is itching to get back on the field.

“I’m good,” the 32-year-old, who scored 104 tries in 115 NRL appearances, said. “I had a second op’ last week, a little clean up and I am feeling better now. I should be back for round one, but you never know - I’ll see how the knee keeps going.”

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Maika Sivo makes a break during Leeds Rhinos' 2024 Boxing Day game against Wakefield Trinity. Picture by Tony Johnson.

placeholder image — Maika Sivo makes a break during Leeds Rhinos' 2024 Boxing Day game against Wakefield Trinity. Picture by Tony Johnson.

Sivo played in last year’s Boxing Day win over Wakefield Trinity and was hurt during Ash Handley’s testimonial game against Wigan Warriors a month later, just two weeks before the season began. It has been a tough year, but he knew what to expect having had a previous acl layoff with damage to his other leg.

“I went back home for a bit which is good, got to see my family, which helped a bit,” he said. “This is my second one, on a different knee and I knew what was coming when I did it. The club have been good, they have been good to me from the day I got here, before the injury and when I injured my knee they were there for me.”

Sivo, who joined Rhinos on a three-year contract, added: “It has been hard, but I will try to get fit now and back to footy. I am not back on the field yet, but I have been on the AlterG [anti-gravity treadmill], which is good. There are no dramas at all, so hopefully everything keeps going the right way and I keep doing the right thing and I'll be all right for February. I am looking forward to being back playing again. It has been hard, especially going through pre-season and then getting injured, but I will be back soon.”

Rhinos’ competitive season begins with a Betfred Challenge Cup tie against lower-league opposition on the weekend of February 7-8. Their opening Super League game is at Leigh Leigh Leopards on Friday, February 13.