No more ‘Mark doing freaky things’ as Nawaqanitawase’s NRL farewell looms

Mark Nawaqanitawase, the prime producer of NRL highlights, will soon be lost to rugby league at the age of just 26. His performances have been described as “freaky” and “ridiculous”, but he is due to return to rugby union as early as Saturday night, unless the Roosters can overcome Cronulla in their semi-final.

To say Nawaqanitawase is much loved at Moore Park undersells the widespread affection for him. Officials at the Roosters and Rugby Australia are neighbours in the offices next to Allianz Stadium, and neither has any ill-will towards the winger, despite both losing him as a player during a three-year period in which Nawaqanitawase has reached almost inconceivable cross-code heights.

His most recent test for the Wallabies was in October 2023 at the Rugby World Cup. The following year he helped Australia to their best men’s rugby sevens finish at the Olympics, finishing fourth. Six weeks after that experience in Paris he had scored on his NRL debut for the Roosters.

Last year he led the NRL in tries and was selected for the Kangaroos even after declaring he would leave the code within 12 months. This year he helped New South Wales to a State of Origin series victory and scored twice on his Blues debut at the MCG.

Nawaqanitawase, who turned 26 last week, will depart for Japanese League One rugby union club Saitama Wild Knights as soon as his Roosters commitments finish. Whether it’s next week, the week after, or the one after that, a code-hopper from a previous generation will be there to meet him.

“It’s pretty obvious how talented he is,” says Berrick Barnes, a former Wallaby who also played for the Broncos in the NRL, and is now the backs coach at Saitama.

“You don’t go to rugby league and, what, score 41 tries in 44 games? It’s ridiculous.”

Nawaqanitawase’s most recent try was another “Marky Mark” special, after he stretched for, juggled, then secured the intercept of a Panthers’ pass in the clash on Sunday won narrowly by Penrith.

“Some of the highlight reels he has is just unbelievable, that pickup off the feet, just incredible,” says Barnes, who has begun texting with his club’s signing ahead of pre-season. “He’s amazing and he’s just such a humble guy to go with it, there’s no ego there, so it’s pretty rare.”

This year Nawaqanitawase has scored 16 tries for the Roosters from 20 matches, down slightly on his uncanny rate of accumulation last season. But he has become more of the winger demanded by the modern 13-a-side game. His run metres per match have increased from 138 metres to 168 metres, and he is now an adept defender having become accustomed to the demands of the NRL in his second full season.

Roosters captain James Tedesco was equally gushing this week, of Nawaqanitawase the player and the person.

“He just enjoys the contest, he’s a great competitor,” Tedesco said. “He wouldn’t harm a fly, Mark, but he enjoys going after a one-on-one battle and he’s done it numerous times throughout the year and come up trumps, so hopefully we get another one from him.”

Nawaqanitawase will leave rugby league with countless highlights, including one try some have claimed is the greatest ever. His duel with Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo from round 16 is etched in the memory of Roosters fans. At the end of a testy contest, Nawaqanitawase crossed for two match-sealing tries. The pair will meet again on Saturday.

“He gets under their skin a bit with how he performs, and you know, he comes up with a lot of great plays, and Ronaldo does as well,” Tedesco said. “Ronaldo plays with a lot of fire and a lot of energy, the Sharks thrive off that, and Mark doing freaky things gives us energy as well.”

The Wild Knights of Saitama, just north of Tokyo, will soon be the hosts of Nawaqanitawase’s talents. They are reportedly paying him more than $1m per season in a two-year deal that bookends next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia. While there is ongoing dialogue between the Roosters winger and Rugby Australia over a potential return to the Wallabies, he will probably spend the coming months with teammates in Saitama ahead of the Japanese season starting in December rather than join the Wallabies for their seven remaining Tests this year.

Barnes believes it will take three to six months before Nawaqanitawase “gets his rugby feet under him again” but his adaptation will be faster than union recruits with only rugby league experience.

“You build a set of habits, you know where to look, what to anticipate and all that sort of stuff, and then you get yourself into a game which is completely different,” Barnes says, noting the extra requirements on Nawaqanitawase’s kicking, and the importance of the breakdown in union.

Barnes, who made his own move to play for the Wild Knights in 2013 at 27, says he expects Nawaqanitawase will quickly adjust to life in Japan. “He’ll be in the fishbowl in Australia with Sydney, and then he comes here where no one will know who he is – barring on game day where he’ll probably get mobbed – but other than that, he can just live a life of anonymity and chill, and then obviously he’ll go back and get his fix when the Wallabies fire up again.”