Nawaqanitawase

[Bondicigar]

Just don't fck Mark up and call him skidzy

[HunchoRooster]

I’ll give him an early nickname - Myth

That one is already reserved for our fringe wearing boy wonder Billy Myth.

Like all urban legends, there have been some reported sightings and signs of magic but nothing we can confirm as real.

[Bansai Pipeline]

The last true Myth was Moga.

Billy Smyth has shown glimpses but I am also sceptical.

Any 'star' from the Wallabies is to be very, very suspiciously. That sport is dead.

[Chook2]

The last true Myth was Moga.

Billy Smyth has shown glimpses but I am also sceptical.

Any 'star' from the Wallabies is to be very, very suspiciously. That sport is dead.

The sport isn’t dead internationally but it’s slowly dying in Australia
Still when he is playing Well against all blacks and springboks in an international sport which is watched by $1.5b people in the world he is doing okay
got to remember only 4 rugby pro sides in Aus as well so all the talent is condensed

[King Salvo]

The sport isn’t dead internationally but it’s slowly dying in Australia
Still when he is playing Well against all blacks and springboks in an international sport which is watched by $1.5b people in the world he is doing okay
got to remember only 4 rugby pro sides in Aus as well so all the talent is condensed

3 as Melbourne Rebels were axed

[King Salvo]

The last true Myth was Moga.

Billy Smyth has shown glimpses but I am also sceptical.

Any 'star' from the Wallabies is to be very, very suspiciously. That sport is dead.

Rugby is in the top 10 of most popular sports in the world.

[The Brain]

I think he has the makes for a league player.

[SupermanSupportsEasts4Eva]

Rugby is in the top 10 of most popular sports in the world.

So what. Its still crap

[Horry]

Olympics 2024: Nawaqanitawase to earn Paris Sevens berth, move to NRL’s Roosters on hold


Mark Nawaqanitawase will be a shock inclusion in Australia’s rugby sevens team for the Paris Olympics, denying the Sydney Roosters the chance to play him in the NRL this year.

MARK Nawaqanitawase will be a shock inclusion in Australia’s rugby sevens team for the Paris Olympics, denying the Sydney Roosters the chance to play him in the NRL this year.

The 23-year-old Wallabies winger has signed a two-year deal with the Roosters starting in 2025, but after national coach Joe Schmidt left him out of Australia’s 38-man Test squad the NRL club made a request to Rugby Australia to grant Nawaqanitawase an early release.

That situation was made complicated by the fact Nawaqanitawase was drafted into the Australian sevens training camp, with coach John Manenti eyeing him as a player of interest for their Olympics campaign.

And despite his limited time in the sevens system, this masthead can reveal Nawaqanitawase has made the cut for the Olympics – a remarkable achievement given the vastly more experienced players in the group.



But it also means the Roosters can’t register Nawaqanitawase before the NRL’s June 30 deadline, which would have allowed them to use him in the latter stages of this season.

It’s understood the Roosters were willing to pay more to get Nawaqanitawase earlier, while RA would have saved on his wage for the final six months of his contract had they granted an early release.

But now Nawaqanitawase’s focus will be on the Paris Games, where Australia will enter as a medal chance, having claimed the World Series last year.

They’ve had mixed results in 2024, but nevertheless possess the talent to knock off heavyweights New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji and South Africa on their day.

The Olympics sevens matches run from July 24-30 at Stade de France, and Australia is pooled with Argentina, Samoa and Kenya.

Nawaqanitawase will return to Australia in early August, and if he continues to be ignored by Schmidt – who is only interested in players available for the 2025 British & Irish Lions series – could again request an early release but won’t be able to take the field for the Roosters.

Meanwhile, after missing out on the Parramatta Eels coaching job, former Wallabies boss Michael Cheika has been named head coach of English club Leicester.

Ironically, Cheika replaces former Wallabies assistant Dan McKellar, who was let go by the club after completing just one year of a three-year deal.

[Cutloose6]

3 as Melbourne Rebels were axed

4 ……..But you would be forgiven for forgetting Western Force exist.

[SupermanSupportsEasts4Eva]

Real shame we can't get him this season.

[ism22]

Probably best for him to come next year TBH. While it'd be great to have him as a depth signing for the backend of 2024, I can't see him magically learning the game (and our style/systems) overnight.

It does seem a bit frigging cynical of yawnion's management (appreciative that 7's selectors may not be close to the Wallabies selectors) to be dumping him because he's leaving and then to pick him for the Olympics so that he can't leave. However, that's sorta why Yawnion is dying a slow death...

[QWERTY]

Probably best for him to come next year TBH. While it'd be great to have him as a depth signing for the backend of 2024, I can't see him magically learning the game (and our style/systems) overnight.

It does seem a bit frigging cynical of yawnion's management (appreciative that 7's selectors may not be close to the Wallabies selectors) to be dumping him because he's leaving and then to pick him for the Olympics so that he can't leave. However, that's sorta why Yawnion is dying a slow death...

That’s why it would have been good if we got him this year. Our coaches plus the reported info said that he’d probably get limited to nil first grade time this year, but he’d be able to learn the game at a lower level out of the spotlight so that next year he hits the ground running…it’s not the worst thing that we missed out on him for this year but for 2025 at least it would have been good.

[Bansai Pipeline]

As if a young Union recruit can make a difference immediately upon joining the NRL.

Completely different game, with completely different requirements as to fitness, skill, ability and hardness.

You’re all delusional.

[Spirit of 66]

Olympic gold and NRL premiership: Nawaqanitawase in line for double in cross-code shock

Mark Nawaqanitawase could have the opportunity to win a gold medal for Australia at the Olympics and still be eligible to push for a Roosters premiership this season in a shock cross-code development.

Nawaqanitawase, who signed a two-year contract with the Roosters starting in 2025, is expected to make the cut for the Australian rugby sevens side for the Paris Games. It was widely expected that Nawaqanitawase would have to make a call between the Olympics or an early start to his NRL career if he was granted an early release from his Rugby Australia contract.

However, sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking anonymously given the sevens side has not officially been named, said the NRL would consider allowing the Wallabies winger to play this season even if he participated in the Olympics.

In order for that to happen, the Roosters would need to sign Nawaqanitawase by Monday’s July 1 transfer deadline. Final approval would be required by the NRL’s salary cap auditor, although Olympic participation would not necessarily be an obstacle for registration. It would also require Rugby Australia to grant him an early post-Games release, which is a possibility given Nawaqanitawase is not in the plans of new Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt.

If that happens, Nawaqanitawase has the chance to become the first footballer in history to win Olympic gold and a premiership ring in the same season.

The development could result in a huge boost for the Roosters, whose back line depth is being severely tested. Centre Junior Pauga is serving a four-week ban for a reckless high tackle on Canterbury’s Connor Tracey, Joseph Suaalii is suspended until mid-July, Billy Smith has an ankle injury that has sidelined him indefinitely, and Lewis Murphy (scaphoid) and Robert Toia (knee) are also unavailable.

The men’s sevens Olympic gold medal match is contested on July 27, which would give Nawaqanitawase enough time to recover, join the Roosters and push for selection in the run to the finals. His agent, Milan Volavola-Shankar, confirmed earlier this month that the Roosters were keen for the 23-year-old to begin his NRL career early.

“At this stage the Roosters have expressed interest in bringing Mark Nawaqanitawase prior to his contract start date,” Volavola-Shankar said at the time.
The rugby sevens team will be officially unveiled this week.