Paraka home to unwind, prepare for Super Rugby season

 QUEENSLAND Reds prop Pettowa Paraka, pictured, is home for a well-deserved holiday after a hectic state and Super Rugby  pre-season training programme.

The 22-year-old loose-head shied away from answering questions when meeting brother Debono and relatives at the Jackson International Airport last Friday.

The Baiyer River man, who completes a two-year contract with the Reds in December next year, is looking forward to a challenging Super Rugby season which kicks off in February.

Paraka jetted off to Western Highlands on Saturday for a two-week break, and will return to Ballymore Stadium to continue pre-season training in the second week of January.

Paraka has moved up the ranks steadily since playing for his state and Australia in junior teams since 2010 to finally earn a spot in Richard Graham’s Queensland outfit two years running.

The 179cm, 118kg front-rower’s chances of being a regular feature in the Reds forward pack have improved with the retirement of veteran prop Greg Holmes.

One of the pillars of the Brisbane City scrum in the inaugural National Rugby Championship season in 2014, Paraka returns to the squad with Super Rugby experience after making his debut for the Reds in March this year.

Since then, Paraka has earned six caps for the Reds and was a member of the Easts side which claimed the minor premiership in the Queensland Premier Rugby competition. 

Rugby fans will remember Paraka for his powerhouse performance in the National Rugby Championship grand final, where he scored two tries to help City beat the Perth Spirit in front of more than 8000 fans at Ballymore.