Dragons winger Jordan Pereira admits he doesn’t watch NRL

There are some NRL players who live and breathe every aspect of the game even when they’re not playing. But not St George Illawarra winger Jordan Pereira. He’d rather go on a bush walk.

Pereira loves to play the game — but that’s about it. Image: Brett Costello

• Ugly saga that ended Gould’s Penrith reign
• Time running out for Nathan Brown

St George Illawarra’s high-flying winger Jordan Pereira has no idea who he’s taking on in Thursday’s Anzac Day clash with the Sydney Roosters — but then this is a guy who doesn’t live and breathe football.

Far from it.

Pereira drew a blank when asked to name his opposing number ahead of the Sydney Cricket Ground encounter.

Pereira loves to play the game — but that’s about it. Image: Brett Costello

“I don’t watch football. I wait until we do our homework and I go from there,” he said.

“I like to take my mind as far away from football as possible. It’s a real consuming sport, especially in the professional environment, it can be mentally taxing.

“So, I have found personally that it’s good to clear my head and do stuff with my fiancee that is not football related.

“I’ve never been into footy but I really enjoy playing it.”

So exactly what does the 26-year old New Zealander do in his spare time?

“Anything (that isn’t footy),” he said. “Normally, I’m trying to recover. We live near the beach or we’ll go on a bush walk and try to find a local swimming hole, there’s heaps around the Illawarra area.

“So that is kind of footy related because my body is pain so I'm trying to recover at the same time.”

The Dragons are preparing for an intense ANZAC Day clash. Image: Toby Zerna

But there is one sport the 14-game rookie does enjoy, enough even to make the time to watch it — basketball.

The New York Knicks fan is currently throwing his support behind a fellow Kiwi and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA playoffs.

“Obviously Steven Adams for the Thunder is from New Zealand so I like to support him,” he said.

Pereira’s lack of desire to live and breathe rugby league doesn’t seem to be having any negative impact on his development as a winger.

According to Fox Sports Lab, Pereira is setting the benchmark across a number of key statistics for starting wingers in 2019. Pereira has made 103 runs (1st), six linebreaks (equal 1st), 22 tackle busts (equal 2nd) and his five tries over the opening six rounds have him sitting third on the overall tally.

Pereira, who will have studied up on Roosters winger Matt Ikuvalu, is expecting Thursday’s clash to be filled with emotion and to be played with a finals-like intensity.

“I’m anticipating it be a finals-type atmosphere but at the same time I’m trying to take it as any other game and not let any of the noise affect me,” he said.

“To be a part of something that means so much to where I’m from, as well as Australia, it adds that special element to it as well.”

Originally published as Dragons winger Jordan Pereira admits he doesn’t watch NRL