MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 30: Tui Kamikamica of the Storm runs the ball during the round eight NRL match between the Melbourne Storm and the Cronulla Sharks at AAMI Park on April 30, 2021, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Melbourne Storm forward Tui Kamikamica has made his return to the sport through the QLD Cup over the weekend, playing strongly for the Sunshine Coast Falcons.
Kamikamica had been subject to the NRL’s no-fault stand-down rule after being hit with a charge for an alleged assault in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley on November 13 last year.
The charge was dismissed in court last week however after Queensland police failed to offer any evidence.
Kamikamica had initially been set to contest a two-day trial last week, having originally been stood down by the NRL late last year under the no-fault stand-down rule.
The prop and lock forward has since, seemingly, been cleared to return to the NRL, although the NRL has made no official comment on the matter of clearing his path to return.
Despite that, the27-year-old ran out for the Falcons in a 48 points to 18 beatdown of the Ipswich Jets on Sunday afternoon, with Kamikamica starting at prop.
He played 54 minutes in the encounter for the Falcons in a side which also featured fringe Melbourne first-grade options Will Warbrick and Cooper Johns, with the former scoring a hat-trick and the latter picking up a try assist.
Kamikamica managed 105 metres from 11 runs, with 62 of those metres recorded as post-contact yardage, while he also had three tackle busts and 19 tackles in a strong showing.
It’s unlikely he will make his way straight back into the Melbourne side given the fact Craig Bellamy’s outfit has won their last two games by a combined score of 120 points to 12.
However, a bench spot may open up for the Fijian powerhouse in the coming weeks as he returns to the NRL, where he had been part of a successful Storm forward pack rotation last year and was earmarked for the starting lock role this year.
Source:: ZeroTackle
