League: Fullback hoping Inglis has done his dash

Peta Hiku. Photo / Getty Images

He's not exactly having nightmares but Peta Hiku admits to trepidation about facing Greg Inglis tomorrow night.

The fearsome Inglis is coming off one of his best NRL seasons and 21-year-old Hiku will be the last line of defence to stop the Rabbitohs giant.

"[Facing him] is probably one of the worst things you would want I suppose," says Hiku. "Someone that strong, that quick ... you can say he has it all really. He can't be dominated unless you have a couple of other players next to you."

Hiku is wary of Inglis and optimistically hopes that his Souths heroics may have blunted his edge for the Four Nations.

"He's been amazing for the Rabbitohs this year - hopefully all that and the premiership took a lot out of him and we can make the most of it," laughs Hiku.

With the absence of Billy Slater, Inglis has talked about his chance to cement the fullback jersey over the next few weeks and Hiku has a similar opportunity. This time last year he was behind Kevin Locke, Josh Hoffman, Gerard Beale and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck in terms of options for the Kiwis No 1 jersey - now he is top dog.

"It's a great opportunity," says Hiku, "I've played most of the year on the wing and I've played centre before but fullback is my preferred position. It is where I see my future - so this is my chance to make my mark."

Hiku was impressive in the Anzac test earlier this year, showing a willingness to get involved on attack and composure on defence. He may lack ultimate top line speed but is quick enough and has good positioning. During the NRL season there was talk linking Hiku with a return to the Warriors, something he says was never strongly considered.

"There was a thought there for a while [about the Warriors] but mostly I just thought stay at Manly," explains Hiku. "They gave me the opportunity and I felt I had a lot more to learn."