League: Melbourne grandstand named after Nikau

Former Kiwi lock Tawera Nikau is to be given the honour of having one of the grandstands at the Melbourne Storm rugby league club's home ground named after him.

Nikau played 53 games for the Storm in the club's first two seasons in the National Rugby League in 1998 and 1999, and was a member of the side which beat St George-Illawarra in the 1999 grand final.

Melbourne chief executive Brian Waldron said today that the Storm would honour Nikau and another old boy, prop Glenn Lazarus, by renaming two of Olympic Park's stands before the match against Brisbane on Saturday night.

The Eastern Stand would become the Tawera Nikau Stand, while the Western Stand would be the Glenn Lazarus Stand.

Nikau and Lazarus would take part in a pre-game ceremony and complete a lap of honour.

Waldron said both men played prominent roles in the Storm's premiership triumph six years ago and also helped to establish the identity of the club in Melbourne.

He said Nikau would always be remembered as one of the club's most popular players.

"He was entertaining and unrelenting in his approach to the game, and long-time Storm watchers say that he turned the game after half-time in the grand final against the Dragons."

Nikau had the lower part of his right leg amputated following a motorcycle accident in July 2003 and now has an artificial leg.

He said he was humbled by the accolade and was looking forward to being present for the ceremony.

"Not too many Aussie clubs name stands after a Kiwi, so to me, this is a great honour," he said.'

- NZPA