Munster delivers cheeky pitch to prolong Marky Mark’s career
Rugby league fans have one more week to enjoy the brilliance of Roosters winger Mark Nawaqanitawase before he switches back to rugby union.
Nawaqanitawase has not only become a try-scoring whiz and NRL superstar, but a genuine household name and fan-favourite across the game.
Mark Nawaqanitawase celebrates a try. Getty Images
The 26-year-old has more highlights in two seasons with the Roosters than most players could put together in a lifetime and that continued on Friday, inspiring his side towards a dominant preliminary final win against the Dolphins.
The code-hopping freak saved a certain try, plucking the ball out of thin-air and racing away to score a 90-metree intercept try at Suncorp Stadium.
Nawaqanitawase was in the thick of it in the second half too, setting up a try for Robert Toia before continuing the Chooks’ onslaught with another of his own.
He finished the night with 329 run metres and five tackle breaks to go along with his double and the unbelievable try assist for Toia.
Allana Ferguson put it best on Nine’s post-game panel.
“You were in a mood and that’s putting it lightly,” she said.
Nawaqanitawase, as humble as ever, poured all his focus and praise back to his Roosters teammates, namely the middle-forwards led by the colossal Naufahu Whyte and the experienced tandem of Victor Radley and Lindsay Collins.
“I just wanna do my job for my team,” the former Wallabies star said.
“There’s not many weeks left, so I come out here wanting to do everything I can for the team and if anything else happens, we’re lucky.
“At the Roosters we pride ourselves on winning premierships and I’m excited to go out there and try and achieve that ... we’ve worked hard and earned our position.”
It will be a sad sight for all NRL fans, whether casual viewers or hardcore nuffies, when Nawaqanitawase ditches the Tricolours and heads back to union.
But before that happens, Cameron Munster has other plans for Nawaqanitawase.
“Hopefully you’ve got your phone on you after the grand final, because I can guarantee you right now that Kevvie [Walters] gonna be giving you a call - I know you’ve got Japan rugby after this,” Munster said, angling for the departing flyer to play for the Kangaroos in the upcoming Rugby League World Cup.
Cameron Munster speaks to Mark Nawaqanitawase. Nine
Nawaqanitawase could only smile awkwardly as Munster and Ferguson showered him with praise and his Kangaroos teammate from last year’s Ashes series begged him to pull on the green and gold jersey in the upcoming tournament.
While it’s highly unlikely, Walters will have to at least ask the question and given the form Nawaqanitawase is in and how much he appears to be loving playing the 13-man code, there’s no harm in putting it into the universe.
Munster, who may as well have been acting as a selector, signed off the post-game interview with five simple words for Nawaqanitawase.
“Enjoy the World Cup mate,” he said cheekily.
