Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson has revealed the plan for cross-code star Mark Nawaqanitawase as he takes the final Top 30 spot on the club's roster this season.
Always joining the Roosters in 2025, Nawaqanitawase was granted an early release from his Rugby Australia contract earlier in the week.
This will allow him to link up with the Bondi-based team after the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he will represent Australia in Rugby Sevens.
However, don't expect the former Wallabies star to feature in first-grade anytime soon.
Instead, he will work his way through the lower grades as he gains valuable experience and continues his development in a sport that he is unfamiliar with.
"I haven't got an NRL focus for him. I've got a transition into rugby league focus and get him training if possible and playing some reserve grade would be ideal," Robinson stated.
"And then it's up to him about how he adapts. The focus is definitely not NRL, it's not next week.
"There's not any view of NRL any time soon.
"We've got a spot available to do that, but then just to get his feet on the ground, get his understanding, and that will have a really good view for the pre-season about okay when I did this or that, I should have moved here, that would really help us adapt through the pre-season with him.
"That would be the goal."
One of the biggest signings for next season, Nawaqanitawase will join the Sydney Roosters after 11 caps and 30 points for the Australian Wallabies and 58 appearances and 115 points for the NSW Waratahs in rugby union.
However, he was recently overlooked by new Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt for the July Test series against Georgia and Wales.
At the backend of last season, in his first interview after confirming he would make the code-switch, the NSW Waratahs player said he has always loved the sport of rugby league and can't wait to get started.
“I'm not doing this code change in any way to have a crack at rugby,” he told SMH.
“I love the sport and it's got me to this position in life. To see some of the stuff that is being said is actually quite laughable.
“I'm not some part of a code war, I'm just doing what is right for me right now, and the opportunity at this young age to play for a club like the Roosters is something that I could not knock back.”
