He attended James Cook Boys Technology High School in nearby Kogarah.
He played for St. George for two seasons, appearing in a total of nineteen games and scoring two tries and one field goal.
[2] As a former Dragons player, Niu has been outspoken about the club moving away from Kogarah's WIN Jubilee Oval.
In 1991, Niu met his future wife Donna Camac while on a St. George team retreat in Hawaii.
He gained a release from the final years of his contract with the Dragons and relocated to her hometown of Philadelphia, where he took a job as a teacher at the Glen Mills Schools, a reform school for court-referred youth with an aptitude for sports.
[3][11] The organization managed the national team and launched a six-club domestic competition.
[15] Niu has served as head coach for the USA Tomahawks on three separate occasions.