Penrith signing Api Koroisau ready to revive Nathan Cleary’s attack
Api Koroisau hasn’t watched his new team and still lives on the other side of Sydney. But Penrith coach Ivan Cleary believes he is the man to bring the best out of Panthers and NSW halfback Nathan.
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The man charged with reigniting Nathan Cleary has never watched him play.
Or rarely, ever.
“But that’s just me,” says new Penrith No.9 Api Koroisau. “I don’t watch rugby league.
“Never really have. It was the same even when I was growing up.
“Which I know that will be surprising to some, but I just don’t watch footy on TV.
“So to be honest with you, I didn’t watch Penrith play once last year … never watched a game at all.”
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A Fijian international with 107 NRL appearances, Koroisau is the livewire Manly recruit charged with not only reigniting the Panthers attack in 2020, but also that of polarising NSW Origin halfback Cleary.
Still living on the northern beaches, the 27-year-old spends up to three hours driving each day to and from the Panthers Academy, where he now shapes as the key figure in a side many – including the TAB — are already tipping to miss the top eight.
“I’m out the door at 5.30am most mornings,” Koroisau reveals when quizzed on the commute across Sydney. “But thankfully, I’m going against the traffic both ways.”
Only recently, Penrith coach Ivan Cleary revealed he was returning Koroisau to the foot of the mountains, where he last played in 2015, because of a playing style “that frees up space for everyone around him”.
“Api gives us more clarity in our spine as to who’s doing what,” the coach said. “He also plays a certain style out of dummy-half that frees up space for everyone around him.
“That in itself should make us a lot more dangerous.”
Asked how he planned to assist Panthers No.7 Cleary following the departure of fellow Origin incumbent James Maloney, Koroisau told The Daily Telegraph: “Nath has already achieved so many different things in the game.
“So my job is to just try and take some of the pressure off him.
“With the game plan we’re working on, my job is to be calm for Nath, get him to his different points (on the field), slow the game down for him and keep things controlled.”
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SuperCoach fans will also be interested to know Koroisau is preparing to play for 80 minutes again this year after sharing the hooking duties at Sea Eagles last season with Manase Fainu.
“I also rolled into last season off the back of that Lisfranc (foot) injury,” he said. “Which really meant I was undercooked.
“Two weeks before the season started I had to stop running because I was getting stress fractures in my foot.
“So I didn’t train, but then still played round one because that’s what you do in the NRL. But early on, my body was hurting. I wasn’t where I needed to be.
“Then because I was splitting time with Manase anyway, I was getting 25 minutes of game time in me before I was cooked.
“So while the coach and I haven’t spoken about minutes yet, I know I can definitely play 80. Just to have been through an entire pre-season and got that base, conditioned my body again, I’m excited.”