Nanai, Sua’ali’i, Ponga: Ranking the richest teenage contracts in NRL history

The fight for elite young talent has sent NRL salaries skyrocketing. These teens have cashed in on the most lucrative contracts ever seen for players for their age.

Ranking the NRL's richest teen contracts

JEREMIAH Nanai declared the pressure was finally off now his football future has been secured but the 19-year-old Cowboy is about to learn that word’s true meaning.

On November 1 Nanai will feel its full force as he becomes the game’s highest paid back row weapon, paid $900,000 per season through the end of 2027.

It is the richest NRL deal ever signed by a teenager and that price tag demands brilliance from every performance.

It was just two years ago that David Fifita scored 17 tries in his debut season as the game’s most expensive backrower, leading the Titans to break a finals drought at the age of 20. On his salary that was a pass mark.

When Fifita fell short of that in season two he became the biggest criticism magnet in the NRL.

Nanai himself told reporters in August he would never “slack off” should he one day receive a contract like Fifita’s.

He just did, and the time he will have to prove his words is rapidly approaching.

In his corner is the fact that Nanai has already soaked up staggering pressure and emerged unscathed.

Finals football. NRL rookie of the year. State of Origin champion. Rugby League World Cup winner.

The North Queensland product has achieved as much in his teenage years as any player before him so none raised an eyebrow when, three days shy of his 20th birthday, Nanai conceded he had returned from the biggest year of his career somewhat undercooked.

“I came back a bit sloppy, to be honest,” he said on Wednesday.

“I had to work to get my weight down and yeah, it’s been tough lately - I’m just glad it’s over now.”

That is completely excusable for a young player who had earned the right to wind down at Christmas.

What Nanai will soon learn is when his new salary kicks in no excuse, valid or otherwise, is going to dent the expectations he now finds upon his shoulders.

Nanai might not feel the pressure now but it draws closer with every game until his upgraded deal ticks over.

Originally published as Nanai, Sua’ali’i, Ponga: Ranking the richest teenage contracts in NRL history