Nawaqanitawase poised to leave NRL for Japan as Roosters face Cronulla semi-final
Mark Nawaqanitawase, the Roosters winger, is set to return to rugby union in Japan as early as Saturday night unless the Roosters overcome Cronulla in their semi-final, and he is widely admired at Moore Park.
Nawaqanitawase’s cross-code trajectory has included a most recent test for the Wallabies at the Rugby World Cup in October 2023, a fourth-place finish with Australia’s men’s rugby sevens team at the Paris Olympics the following year and an NRL debut try six weeks after Paris. Last season he led the NRL in tries and earned selection for the Kangaroos after announcing he would leave the code within 12 months; this year he helped New South Wales win the State of Origin series and scored twice on his Blues debut at the MCG. He turned 26 last week and will head to Japanese League One club Saitama Wild Knights as soon as his Roosters commitments finish.
His most recent try came in the clash on Sunday won narrowly by Penrith, when he stretched, juggled and secured an intercept of a Panthers pass, a score that added to his growing highlights collection. Berrick Barnes, the Wild Knights backs coach, said: "It’s pretty obvious how talented he is," and added, "You don’t go to rugby league and, what, score 41 tries in 44 games? It’s ridiculous." Barnes has begun texting with his club’s signing ahead of pre-season and also said: "Some of the highlight reels he has is just unbelievable, that pickup off the feet, just incredible," followed by, "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."
On-field output this year includes 16 tries from 20 matches for the Roosters, a slight decline on his previous rate, while his run metres per match have risen from 138 to 168. He has also developed into a more complete 13-a-side winger and an adept defender as he adapts to the NRL’s demands. Roosters captain James Tedesco praised both his play and character, saying: "He just enjoys the contest, he’s a great competitor," and, "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."
A notable chapter in his NRL tenure was the round 16 duel with Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo, when Nawaqanitawase crossed for two match-sealing tries; the pair are scheduled to meet again on Saturday. Tedesco commented on the matchup and the opposing winger, saying: "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 are reported to be paying Nawaqanitawase more than $1m per season on a two-year contract that frames next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia. While discussions continue between the Roosters winger and Rugby Australia about a possible Wallabies return, he will probably remain 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 expects an adjustment period in union, saying it will take three to six months before Nawaqanitawase "gets his rugby feet under him again" and noting specific areas such as kicking and the breakdown. Barnes, who moved to Saitama in 2013 at 27, added: "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," and: "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."
Whether Nawaqanitawase’s exit occurs immediately after Saturday’s semi-final or in the weeks that follow will depend on the Roosters’ progress; "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."