NRL: Cowboys prop Wiremu Greig on how he can earn a NRL debut

He is best known for his all-out aggression when the ball is tucked under his wing, but it’s how Wiremu Greig performs without the Steeden that could pave his way to a dream NRL debut.

HE IS best known for his all-out aggression when the ball is tucked under his wing, but it’s how Wiremu Greig performs without the Steeden that could pave his way to a dream NRL debut.

That’s the self assessment from the 21-year-old from Whangarei, New Zealand, who has been under contract at the Cowboys since 2017.

Wiremu Greig . Picture: Alix Sweeney

The hard-running front-rower played for Northern Pride’s under-20s in 2018 and the Blackhawks in 2019, but was restricted to just the one game for the Pride in 2020 before the Intrust Super Cup season was cancelled.

It is in Queensland’s statewide league that Greig says the hard work he has put in to earn an opportunity in the world’s premier rugby league competition will be put on show this season.

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Among the next key stages in his plan to catch the attention of Cowboys coach Todd Payten and his staff is to not just play consistently for the Pride, who he is allocated to for 2021, but to perform when he is on the field.

“Game fitness and in defence, that’s what I have to work on,” Greig said.

“You improve those areas just by playing more regularly – the more you do it, the more you learn.”

That desire for self-improvement on the footy field started months ago on the training paddock, and that hard focus on defence takes shape during the club’s opposed sessions.

Pride coach Ty Williams already knows how he will use the towering 192cm, 124kg barnstorming prop when he gets the opportunity to include him in his 17.

Wiremu Greig . Picture: Alix Sweeney

Both the Pride and Cowboys have trial games scheduled for February 27 – the Pride travel to Townsville to face the Blackhawks while the Cowboys take on the Broncos at Redcliffe – and it will be up to Payten as to where Greig lines up on that date.

It means Williams may not have the hungry metre-eater at his disposal until the Intrust Super Cup campaign kicks off on March 20, but the retired Cowboys legend said Greig would have no trouble slotting into his side.

“Wiremu, he’s a bit of an old-school front-rower, and he fits into our group perfectly,” Williams said.

“He’s come through the 20s before and played only the one game at ISC level … (but) he’s obviously one of the biggest bodies in the NRL and if he gets his opportunity he’s going to take it with both hands.

“He’s been chomping at the bit. If I do get him for the trial, I’ll have to calm him down a bit because the big fella likes to get in and get it done, but he’s a massive asset for us if we do get him, and he’ll complement our team nicely.”

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While heralded for the way he tucks the footy under his arm and charges into the opposition defence, Williams said the way Greig moved was another bonus.

And Williams will do all he can to harness every bit of that power when Greig lines up for the Barlow Park club.

“I love his aggression ... and if he can control that, he will be better suited for it, and hopefully he gets that opportunity to play NRL,” he said.

Originally published as NRL: Cowboys prop Wiremu Greig on how he can earn a NRL debut