Heamasi Makasini, Wests Tigers rookie, spotted meeting former Wallabies coach and current Japanese Wild Knights boss Robbie Deans
Look away now Wests Tigers fans, the club’s best young prospect has been spotted meeting with rugby union royalty. See the image here.
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Look away Wests Tigers fans, here is the proof rugby union has its eye on the club’s best rising prospect.
This masthead has obtained a photograph of boom rookie Heamasi Makasini meeting with former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.
Deans, who is the head coach of Japanese rugby side Saitama Wild Knights, was spotted by an eagle eyed restaurantgoer meeting with the highly regarded 16-year-old at the Grace Hotel in Sydney’s CBD last week.
Deans is back in Australia after guiding the Wild Knights to the grand final in late May and was keen to become acquainted with the Newington schoolboy rugby star in the prestigious GPS competition.
A full-time switch to the 15-man game is a genuine option for the talented teenager who is already part of the NSW Waratahs pathways system and was selected in the Australian under-16s side last year.
Cashed-up rugby clubs in Japan have had some success in luring rugby league talent away from the game. Earlier this year, star Roosters centre Joseph Manu agreed to join Toyota Verblitz on a one-year deal in 2025.
Makasini is also drawing plenty of interest from NRL clubs that have made inquiries about his contract status at the Tigers.
But Tigers bosses are currently locked in talks with the local junior before he officially hits the open market on November 1.
Makasini was the crowned as the club’s Harold Matthews (under-17s) player of the year after a barnstorming season from the goalkicking centre, scoring 92 points and finishing as the leading try scorer with 10 tries.
Last month, this masthead obtained footage of a rampaging Makasini dominating opponents in a schoolboy rugby clash against The King’s School. His standout performances in the 15-man game, where he routinely monsters opposition players, have already drawn comparisons to All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu.
The Tigers rolled out club powerbrokers NRL coach Benji Marshall and CEO Shane Richardson for a meeting with the teenager’s parents back in March, where the plans for Makasini’s development were put into place.
His parents were also given a tour of the Tigers’ newly built centre of excellence as part of the club’s efforts to retain the youngster.
Despite his tender age, there is a view Makasini is on the cusp of being promoted into NRL program with a debut on the cards within the next 18 months.
The latest development in the race to secure Makasini’s future comes just 24 hours after rising forward Stefano Utoikamanu told the club he would be departing the club at season’s end to join a rival outfit from 2025.
In a blow to the club’s retention efforts, as part of Marshall’s roster rebuild, Utoikamanu rejected a five-year extension worth $4 million to stay at Concord.
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Originally published as Heamasi Makasini, Wests Tigers rookie, spotted meeting former Wallabies coach and current Japanese Wild Knights boss Robbie Deans
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