Mark Nawaqanitawase has played for the Wallabies at a Rugby World Cup, rugby sevens for Australia at the Olympics, and been a professional sportsman for seven years.
So it seems a stretch to be including him in the conversation about NRL rookie of the year contenders. As it stands, though, there is nothing in the Dally M rules that would make Nawaqanitawase ineligible for the gong. He only played the one NRL game last year, and satisfies the criteria for the first-year prize.
The Roosters winger certainly makes the grade on form, having scored nine tries in his 10 games this season including a memorable effort against the Bulldogs that is sure to feature in try of the year calculations.
The 24-year-old heads what is already shaping up as one of the best rookie field the NRL has seen in years.
The Roosters alone are stacked with young talent, including Hugo Savala, Rob Toia – who made his Queensland Origin debut after 10 NRL games – and Salesi Foketi.
Then you have Parramatta’s Isaiah Iongi, South Sydney’s Jamie Humphreys and Raiders pair Owen Pattie and Savelio Tamale.
Rookie contenders (from left) Hugo Savala, Isaiah Iongi, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Rob Toia and Jamie HumphreysCredit: Jamie Brown/SMH
There is St George Illawarra’s Hamish Stewart, who was good enough to be asked to train with the Blues during their Origin I preparations last week, and his Gerringong mate Dylan Egan, who was having a blinder of a campaign for the Dragons before his season was cut down by a knee injury.
The Queensland clubs also have some young stars, including Cowboys’ winger Rob Derby, and Gold Coast fullback Jaylan De Groot, who has that thick James Tedesco-like build.
Roosters fans will be more concerned about Nawaqanitawase staying put, rather than any water-cooler debate about his rookie-of-the-year credentials.
Herald colleague Iain Payten wrote about Rugby Australia potentially making a play to bring Nawaqanitawase home in time for the 2027 World Cup on home soil, once his Roosters deal expires at the end of 2026.
However, incoming Wallabies coach Les Kiss was cool on that prospect when he addressed it at a NSW Blues training session at Ballymore on Monday. “I couldn’t see it happening at this stage,” Kiss said.
“Someone like Marky is someone we’ll always keep an eye on. But the truth is, he’s in as good place at the moment to stay at the Roosters – I do know he’s done well enough there for the Roosters to not let him go.”
As the young Roosters round out the weekend action at home to the Raiders, assistant coach Matt King said the Generation Next Chooks – excepting Nawaqanitawase – had been on the radar for several years.
“It’s a story that has been three or four years in the making,” King said.“The club has been incredibly supportive of some absolute legends of the game as they’ve dealt with retirement, including Mitch Aubusson, Jake Friend, Boyd Cordner and Brett Morris. Their sole focus has been to develop the next crop.
“They’ve been patient. Nobody else knew what we had on our hands, but we did.”
King said Nawaqanitawase was just as impressive off the field as he was on it.
“I’ve got three young girls, and if one of them ever brings home a man like Marky Mark, I’ll be happy as – he’s such a good fella,” King said.
“He walked into and changed our environment, purely through the person he is. There’s no ego. He finished at the Paris Olympics, and three weeks later he’s playing [reserve grade] in Glebe in front of three people. He just got on with it. He’s an incredible human.
“With Hugo, there are two things I have consistently seen in a good young half during my career, which is someone who makes their tackles, and someone who kicks the ball well. Cooper Cronk did just that when starting at Melbourne, and so did Adam Reynolds at Souths. Hugo is not only making all his tackles, he’s consistently kicking the ball well to all areas of th field.
“And Rob’s journey to the NRL has been filled with adversity because of two ACLs. He’s clear on what makes a consistent NRL centre. He’s got stuff like the two Joeys [Joey Suaalii and Manu] with the footy. We don’t see it as consistently at the moment because he’s so focused on his defence and shutting down his edge. But it will come.”
Dolphins winger Jack Bostock took top honours last year after new Bulldog Lachie Galvin was ineligible because of suspension, while Sunia Turuva beat his future Tigers teammate Jahream Bula in 2023.
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