SINOTI SINOTI is set to hit a century of appearances for Newcastle Falcons on Saturday when they host Jersey Reds in Greene King IPA Championship action.

The Samoan international joined the Falcons midway through the 2013-14 season and has become a firm crowd favourite, winning the club’s player of the year award for 2015 and scoring the Premiership’s try of the season in 2018.

Injury and selection permitting he is now in line to make his 100th appearance for the Falcons, laying down roots in a career which has seen him playing for Wellington, Toulon, Castres, Aironi, Zebre and Hawke’s Bay prior to his arrival on Tyneside.

Sinoti said: “You hear about other players making their 100th appearance, and there have been quite a few of them during my time at the Falcons.

“I just genuinely never thought it would be me, and because it has never been on my radar I’ve never spent any time anticipating what it would feel like.

“Probably for that reason it had a big impact on me when I heard my hundredth was due, and I’m looking forward to it if I’m selected for the game.”

The Samoan winger’s Newcastle side are currently sat on top of the Championship table with three wins from three following last weekend’s 18-9 victory at Cornish Pirates, with the top-placed club at the end of the season earning automatic promotion into the Premiership.

Also winning all three of their Championship Cup games, Sinoti has experience of playing against Saturday’s opponents following his team’s 21-8 victory away to Jersey on the season’s opening day.

“Jersey are a good side, as they showed in September when we went over there in the Cup,” said the 34-year-old.

“They beat the Russian national side in pre-season and they’re a very hungry team, so we know they’ll be good on Saturday.

“People right across this league want to come to the house of the Falcons and turn us over, but we’ve got the talent here to make sure that doesn’t happen.

“I honestly think that when we properly put things together we’ll post some really big scores, and hopefully we can do that this weekend.”

n Tickets for Saturday’s 1pm kick-off against Jersey are available by calling 0871 226 6060. Supporters with a valid Falcons ticket can also watch Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final in the stadium’s West Stand concourse bar, which opens at 8am ahead of the 9am kick-off.