James Segeyaro on his dream job joining the Broncos

It took stints at three other NRL clubs on the way, but James Segeyaro is finally where he wanted to be all along and hunting a Broncos contract for 2020.

Segeyaro wasn’t disguising his glee at joining Brisbane. Image: AAP Image/Richard Gosling

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It took stints at three other NRL clubs on the way, but James Segeyaro is finally where he wanted to be all along and hunting a Broncos contract for 2020.

Segeyaro, 28, will start life at the Broncos, the club he supported as a Cairns youngster, as a bench player behind starting hooker Jake Turpin in the clash with Sydney Roosters on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium.

It’s a measure of the crossroads his career is at after Cronulla had been unable to fit him under their salary cap this year that the 141-game hooker could not fathom why he felt so nervous before his first Red Hill training session on Monday.

Segeyaro wasn’t disguising his glee at joining Brisbane. Image: AAP Image/Richard Gosling

“I will try to do my job week in and week out and if I do that, things will take care of themselves and I’ll play a lot more for the Broncos,’’ said Segeyaro, who signed with the Broncos when they needed to get through Andrew McCullough’s recovery period from a knee injury.

“I can only hope. They have a very good hooker in Andrew and the young hooker (Turpin).

“Anyone who gets the opportunity to play for such an established club, all the Origin greats they’ve had, it’s a dream come true.

“I wanted to stay at (Cronulla) but as soon as the opportunity came to play for the Broncos, to come back to Queensland, I jumped at it. It all happened within about 48 hours (last week) of the first contact.

“I didn’t get much sleep last night. I don’t know why I was nervous — I’ve been to a couple of clubs before but I was awake at 2.30am and then at 4.30am.’’

Segeyaro and Gehamat Shibasaki during training. Image: AAP Image/Richard Gosling

The Papua New Guinea-born hooker’s favourite Bronco was Darren Lockyer and he counts himself lucky to have played against Lockyer once, in 2011, even if he reckons the champion gave a “clinic” that night against his Cowboys team.

It was Lockyer’s last season and Segeyaro’s first.

“I played for North Queensland rep sides, I grew up playing against Broncos players. Andrew McCullough might be the last one here — Macca was always the No.1 coming through, him and Ben Hunt,’’ Segeyaro said.

While getting over an arm injury this year, Segeyaro learned how to be a barista for a Sydney cafe run by former Dragon Jason Nightingale.

“I was still training and did that on a day off. You have to find a passion because footy doesn’t last forever,’’ he said.

“I have a clothing label as well. But hospitality is something I’d like to get into, so if I want to invest money into it I want to know if I really enjoy it.’’