Rugby league: Parramatta Eels star Maika Sivo's emotional moment of being reunited with his father

Joeli says: "I am so thankful for this moment, my boy." Photo / Supplied

This moment might just make you cry.

Parramatta winger Maika Sivo has taken the NRL by storm this year, with 16 tries to date, but his absence from his native Fiji has been hard on both he and his parents.

His parents had never even seen him play rugby league live.

His father Joeli until recently did not even own a passport, nor had the farmer left Fiji.

In an NRL.com video Sivo spoke of missing his dad and his mother, who still live in the village of Momi, where Sivo grew up, in a house that the Eels flyer had built for them despite being on the NRL minimum of $72,500 plus match payments this year.

Sivo tells the story of his parents' hardship and how they watch every game he plays at his uncle's place on TV — it's a moving story and Joeli clearly adores and is proud of his son, who keeps a photo of his father on his locker.

"Dad has never left Fiji, he doesn't even have a passport. I would love for my dad to see me play for real, just for him to hear the crowd in the stadium, the sound of it the roar, he'd be smiling for days," Sivo says.

Well that moment came true as Sivo's father flew in for a surprise visit to Australia and the moment where he gets to Parramatta training and calls out to his son is heartwarming and tear-inducing at the same time.

See the heartfelt moment Maika Sivo was reunited with his Dad, Joeli 💙💛

For Hardworking Dads, everywhere.@Vic_Bitter pic.twitter.com/8sAZdinkbB

— NRL (@NRL) August 29, 2019

Both father and son hug in an embrace that is pure emotion.

Days later Sivo's father attended the club's round 21, 20-14 win over the Newcastle Knights where his son scored the matchwinner in a beautiful epitaph to the story.

"In our village Maika is already a hero, now he's a hero in Australia too. A superhero," Joeli Sivo said.

"I am so thankful for this moment my boy. To see my son play in the flesh it's dream come true. My heart was so big it almost popped."

For Sivo though finals loom and the Eels are currently still in the top four hunt and could make that happen if they are able to collect wins in the final two rounds against Brisbane and Manly.

Sivo is set to stay there for a long time too. The club is in the process of upgrading his current terms and then extending the contract until the end of 2022.

For Sivo, 25, earning almost $1 million in the next three seasons playing rugby league in the NRL is a magnificent achievement considering the Eels winger only began playing the game four years ago.