The Sydney Roosters are set to make an audacious bid to take one back from rugby union by chasing Mark Nawaqanitawase.
Rugby Union has been relentless in recent times in attempting to chase NRL stars, however, at this stage have only landed the signature of Joseph Suaalii on an enormous contract from the start of the 2025 season.
Teammate Angus Crichton was believed to be also close to a switch into the 15-man game, however, a deal between him, Rugby Australia and the Western Force based out of Perth broke down.
Rugby Australia has also had its eye on players like Will Penisini, Cameron Murray, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and even Payne Haas, who was chased both domestically and abroad, but all have re-signed on long-term deals with their current clubs, taking them out of the running as possible options to switch to the sport.
It comes as Rugby Australia looks to prepare for the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, and the 2027 World Cup, which will also be hosted down under.
Plenty of NRL players have floated the possibility of playing for the Wallabies, but none have taken the bait at this stage, and the recent poor showing at the 2023 World Cup in France is unlikely to make the task of promotion and recruitment through the NRL's ranks any easier for the 15-man game.
But now it's rugby who are under assault, with The Sydney Morning Herald reporting that the Roosters are looking to take one back in the shape of Nawaqanitawase.
A winger and fullback in the sport, Nawaqanitawase has played 11 Tests for Australia already despite being just 23 years of age and is a former Australian under-20s and Australia A representative.
He has a background in rugby league, having played for the Concord-Burwood Wolves and Leichhardt Wanderers before switching to rugby union at the age of 14.
Rated as one of the best in a poor campaign at the World Cup for the Wallabies, Nawaqanitawase is off-contract with the Waratahs - where he has 45 appearances to his name - at the end of 2024 and could eye off a switch of sports if the Roosters have backline spots available, which is very likely with the departure of Suaalii, and likely retirement of Daniel Tupou at the end of the campaign.
The Roosters currently have almost 20 spots available in their Top 30 for 2025, and while the immediate priority will be on re-signing Joseph Manu, who is under a poaching raid from the St George Illawarra Dragons among other clubs, Trent Robinson and his staff have plenty of room to reshape the roster as they see fit after a 2023 campaign which saw a below par semi-final exit at the hands of the Melbourne Storm.
