Jeremiah Nanai: ‘If I ever get a contract like that I’ll never slack off’
Cowboys forward Jeremiah Nanai has learned from David Fifita’s mistakes as he prepares to join the Titans star as the NRL’s next young big-money back-rower. Read Nanai’s exclusive interview
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Jeremiah Nanai vowed he would never “slack off” should he follow in the footsteps of David Fifita to become the NRL’s next young big-money backrower.
Nanai, 19, has had a breakout season for the Cowboys and starred for Queensland in their miraculous State of Origin success.
He is contracted to North Queensland until the end of 2023 but as of November 1, rival clubs can circle the youngster for the 2024 campaign and beyond.
Fifita was 21 when he signed for the Titans on three-year deal worth $1.2 million a season but has failed to live up to the hype that secured him one of the most lucrative deals in NRL history.
Nanai said he still believed Fifita was a good player and he would not feel the pressure of landing a big contract when his own time came.
“I don’t worry about all that stuff off the field, I just like to play footy,” Nanai said.
“I rate him (Fifita), I don’t know what’s going on with him and stuff like that. But if I ever get a contract like that, I’ll never slack off.
“I won’t put myself first, I always put the team first.”
Nanai is adamant his desire is to play for the Cowboys long-term but will leave his future in the hands of manager Sam Ayoub.
“I like to focus on just playing footy and I’ll leave that to my manager,” Nanai told News Corp.
“He has been good to me and he does all the stuff off the field.
“When it comes to that day to sign a contract, I’d love to stay here long term. I want to stay with the Cowboys.”
Nanai is one of the most talked about players in the NRL this season but the youngster is taking it all in his stride.
He joked there would be no Ferraris if he did earn himself a big deal, but that might change after he stopped playing.
“I’ll still drive my normal car,” he laughed.
“It’s a cheap one but it gets me from A to B and does the job.
“I don’t worry about all the luxury stuff like that.
“When I retire, I will probably get all that stuff that I wanted when I was young.
“For now, I’m just grateful and blessed to just have whatever I have right now and give it all for the Cowboys after what they have done for me.”
Nanai said the team was not looking past Saturday’s clash with the Roosters in Sydney on Saturday afternoon as they aim for finals football for the first time since 2017.
“We’re not going to think too far ahead saying we are going to make the grand final,” he said.
“We have just got to work our way up.
“The Roosters have been good so recently. And they’re just making that top eight.
“They have got to win all their games, so, it’s not going to be easy this week.
“We are just going to give it a crack, play our footy and do what we do best.”
Nanai promised to give as good as he gets when he takes on Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
The New Zealand international has played 254 more NRL games than his young opponent and is 14 years his senior.
Nanai isn’t worried about the veteran’s hardman reputation and says he can’t wait to do battle again, especially after what happened in the first game between the two sides in round four when the Roosters won 28-4 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
“I am looking forward to that rematch again,” the 19-year-old said.
“He got me last time with an elbow to my throat and I take that personally.
“It’s all part of the game, that’s footy. You get bumps and bruises and stuff like that.
“But I’m going to look forward to that rematch and if he gives it to me, I’m going to give it back.”
Nanai said the Cowboys were hurting after the defeat on home soil earlier in the season and would be looking to avenge that chastening loss.
“It would feel good for us (to win),” he said.
“We will take that motivation to the game this Saturday and give it back to them and hopefully get the win on their home ground.”
Coach Todd Payten will welcome back star forward Jordan McLean for his first game since he injured his hamstring in the New South Wales camp ahead of State of Origin game three in July.
The 30-year-old will start from the bench alongside fellow forwards Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Luciano Leilua and Griffin Neame with Reuben Cotter elevated to the starting XIII.
Payten said he went with four big boppers on the interchange to try to combat the likes of Warea-Hargreaves and Matthew Lodge.
“We wanted to match their physicality,” Payten explained.
“We know they play their best when they’re running hard.”
Hiku desperate to do better in Chooks clash
MUST do better. That was Peta Hiku’s own report on his performance against the Bulldogs in Bundaberg last week.
The 29-year-old was stripped of the ball by Josh Addo-Carr following a Matt Burton grubber kick as the Dogs stole an early march on the Cowboys.
Hiku was also beaten on the outside as Burton went over for Mick Potter’s men as they went out to an early 10-point lead.
The New Zealand international was damning of his performance in the early stages of last Sunday’s clash, saying: “I just got into the game late. I was making good decisions but just not getting my body to where it needed to be.
“The way I started that game was just not good enough. I was there mentally but I think physically I just need to be a bit better.
“I didn’t prepare well enough to be my best at the start of the game.”
The Cowboys play their third game on the road in succession against the Roosters at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
In both the previous games the Cowboys have had to come from behind to win.
Hiku said while being on the wrong side of the scoreboard against the Roosters would be more of a challenge, the team would not be too worried if they gave up an early lead.
“I don’t think the score will worry us too much,” he said. “I think it depends on how we get to that point.
“If we play good footy, we’re getting high completion rates and get into a kick, and they still jump up 10-0, then we will not get bored of what we do.
“But if we can stay in the game and if they get ahead at least they have got a bit of fatigue in them, and we can come back into the game strong.
“If we play the game the right way from the start no matter what the score is, we will be there at the end.”
Hiku said with four regular-season games left and the Cowboys clear in second spot, thoughts of the players would naturally turn to finals football, but their eyes were still on the immediate target of the Roosters on Saturday. “It’s hard not to look to the finals when you’re going so well,” he said.
“But I think for us, that’s where we want to finish, so, I think that just narrows our focus back to week-in week-out.
“We can’t afford to be thinking ahead, otherwise we just sort of drop off.”
Originally published as Jeremiah Nanai: ‘If I ever get a contract like that I’ll never slack off’
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