Laitia Moceidreke, a former NRL player for the Newcastle Knights and North Queensland Cowboys, has decided to quit rugby league and make a surprising code switch.
On Tuesday, it was announced that Moceidreke had been selected as one of the 14 individuals in the NFL's 10-week International Player Pathway (IPP) development camp in Florida this season.
A member of the Knights' development list for the 2024 NRL season, he began his rugby league career at the Canterbury Bulldogs before moving to the North Queensland Cowboys. Here, he made one first-grade appearance and scored one try - his debut was in Round 23 of the 2021 season.
A Matraville Sports High School student in Sydney, Moceidreke comes from a family with extensive rugby experience and great athletes. Most famously, his grandfather represented Fiji at the 1968 Olympics and his father represented the Fijian rugby national team.
Aiming to follow in the footsteps of Jordan Mailata, he will trial as a tight end and defensive end after first being exposed to the sport during Super Bowl LVI between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams.
โThe Class of 2025 is an exciting one, and we are delighted to welcome these talented athletes from around the world to the International Player Pathway program,โ said Executive Vice President International, Events and Club Business at theย NFLย Peter O'Reilly.
โFocusing on our global football development efforts and fostering international talent is crucial to growing our game globally.
"The IPP program offers life-changing opportunities for international talent, and we look forward to following their progress in the weeks and months ahead.โ
International Player Pathway Program Class of 2025
Jordan Petaia (Australia)
Laitia Moceidreke (Australia)
Laki Tasi (Australia)
Jeneiro Wakeham (Fiji)
Joachim Trouabal (France)
Maceo Beard (France)
Leander Wiegand (Germany)
Aaron Sexton (Ireland)
Roje Stona (Jamaica)
Nathaniel Salmon (New Zealand)
Paschal Ekeji Jr. (Lesotho / Nigeria / South Africa)
Dante Barnett (United Kingdom)
Mapalo 'Maz' Mwansa (United Kingdom / Zambia)
TJ Maguranyanga (Zimbabwe)
