Peta Hiku 'furious' over Packer hit

Penrith winger Peta Hiku admits he was “furious” after a hit from fellow-Kiwis international Russell Packer left with him a fractured eye-socket during the opening round of the NRL season.

However, after speaking for the first time after the incident on Tuesday, Hiku said he had moved on from the hit and didn’t believe there was anything personal in the matter.

Penrith officials aired their anger after Packer wasn’t charged over the incident, when Hiku was originally expected to miss up to four weeks as a result of the injury.

But he returned early in last week’s 14-12 loss to the Sydney Roosters, after spending just one week on the sideline.

“I was a bit furious about missing a couple of games,” Hiku said when asked about the lack of punishment dished out to Packer.

“I only played one game back. Missing a few games there I was pretty upset about.

“After the next day it was all settled in and I spoke to the coaches about it and they did whatever they had to do. I couldn’t do much about it.”

Hiku was hit by a swinging arm in a three-man tackle from Packer in the opening minutes of their round-one loss to St George Illawarra.

He got up and remained on the field following the hit, sporting a massive bump under his right eye.

But the Penrith winger said he didn’t believe there was any malice or intent behind the hit.

“They came out with a lot of aggression and I happened to be taking one of our first hit-ups and it got hit clean,” he said.

“It was just a big man in the middle coming out to hit one of the wingers, just trying to pin them back there.

“I guess I was just trying to do his job and I was trying to do mine. I was just in the wrong spot.”

Hiku missed the majority of last season after he was ruled out with a knee injury in May, and the game against the Dragons was his comeback match.