How Nanai's club axing steeled him for Maroons
Queensland second-rower Jeremiah Nanai's round-one axing for North Queensland has proven to be a blessing in disguise, particularly for the Maroons.
That is the view of Maroons No.14 and Cowboys co-captain Tom Dearden who said Nanai's response in clubland was outstanding and had led to him being chosen for the State of Origin series opener on Wednesday night.
Nanai was dropped after the loss to Manly for defensive issues and after one game in the Queensland Cup he was recalled and has not been out of the Cowboys side since. He has still missed 28 tackles in nin e games but his efforts have been much improved.
Maroons coach Billy Slater is a fan of Nanai and he has played eight Origin matches since Slater became coach.
"Jeremiah has been playing back row for a long time, he brings so much punch," Dearden said.
"I thought since he came back from getting dropped in round one, he has been awesome for the Cowboys in the back row and he deserves his spot.
"(The axing) was about him wanting to work hard and be hungry to play footy again.
"He was back in there pretty quickly and since he came back in, the way he has gone about his defensive part of the game and his efforts have been brilliant.
"Jeremiah has got some of the best punch of any back-rower in the game and that's what makes him such a great player."
Maroons legend Justin Hodges said on Fox League that the Nanai axing was "the kick up the butt he needed" to get him back in the Origin frame.
Nanai's line running and ability to catch a high kick are his strengths.
"He is very skilful for a back-rower. He has got big hands, he would probably be good at basketball," Dearden said.
"He understands where to be in the right place at the right time. He is an aerial threat."
Nanai is named to partner North Queensland lock Reuben Cotter in the back-row. Cotter has proven adept both in the middle or on an edge in Origin."Rubes, him moving to the back row, he is the ultimate competitor in Origin and just the toughness he plays with, he is built for that arena," Dearden said.
"It doesn't matter where you put him in the forwards, you know he will turn up and do his job."
Cotter has not appeared happy with his form at times this year but Dearden said he had been strong.
"I thought he has been great this year, he plays with so much effort and that's what makes him such a great player to play with," Dearden said.
"When you watch the game from the outside in, you don't always notice the areas he does so well. There is a reason he is in this team, it's all about those little effort areas and the toughness he plays with. He has been a great player for Queensland and I'm excited for him next Wednesday."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
How Payne Haas helped end Laurie Daley's first spell in charge of NSW
'I wrote back, 'Be careful of what?' He then showed me a photo of the Queensland whiteboard, which simply said, 'Andrew Fifita'. 'I remember showing 'Loz' [Daley] and laughing and saying, 'That's when you know you've made it in Origin'. 'Then I heard they brought in Payne. He was only a schoolboy at the time, but he was big and versatile, we played kind of the same, and he was meant to mimic me. 'I think Cronulla played the Broncos last year and I wanted to know what had happened. He told me he was young, he helped Queensland out, but there's no way he'd do it now. 'That series ended up being the last one for Loz. It definitely cost me my chance to win an Origin series. 'Payne's not on the big money for nothing. He's so versatile, and knows what to do. He offloads, he attacks out wide – he does things front-rowers shouldn't do.' Haas, who was named man of the match following the 18-6 win over Queensland in game one last month, said he was never entirely sure what he was getting himself into when the young Broncos were called in to run an opposed session with the Maroons, a side which featured the likes of Billy Slater – now the Maroons' coach – Cameron Smith, and front-rowers Josh McGuire, Wallace and Josh Papali'i. Now 24, Haas also revealed how supercoach Wayne Bennett asked him to pledge his allegiance to the Maroons while still only a teenager in the Broncos system. Haas moved from Newcastle to the Gold Coast when he was 13, and he spent a short time in the Maroons pathways, only for Haas to come to his senses. The only thing that would have made the images of a beardless Haas training with the Maroons would have been him wearing the Queensland training gear, which, thankfully, he was not. 'I didn't know what I was getting into that day, they asked us Broncos boys to come in for an opposed session, and they wanted me to be a Fifita clone,' Haas said. 'It was weird because I was from NSW. Now, when I think back on it, if they asked me to do the same, I'd be like, 'f--- that'. 'I knew a few of the Queensland boys, including Josh McGuire, so it wasn't too bad. It was a cool experience at the time. I was given a taste of Origin, and got to find out how the players prepare. You also find out how much the Queenslanders hate us. Living in Queensland, I already knew that. 'I wanted to go hard against them and see how I went. It was good practice for me and I enjoyed it. 'We were at Sanctuary Cove. I was a baby then. I watched that first Origin game and Fifita killed it. 'I remember the Maroons wanting me to play for them. I remember Wayne Bennett wanting me to play for Queensland, and how he was off me when I told him I wanted to play for NSW. I knew I was always a Blue.' When you point out his Fifita impersonation helped Queensland put an end to Fifita's dominance on that series, and essentially left Daley without a job, Haas shakes his head and says: 'Loz had a great career in Origin. He's back here now. I'm indebted to him.' Haas was a standout when playing for NSW in the under-16s and under-18s. Mark O'Meley, a NSW hardman in his own right, coached Haas, and recalled how the Broncos front-rower, along with his Blues teammate Spencer Leniu, were the only pair to ever run over the top of him while holding tackling pads. One of the teams Haas loved watching growing up in the early 2000s was O'Meley's Bulldogs, which also featured Sonny Bill Williams, Willie Mason and Roy Asotasi. Loading O'Meley said of Haas: 'He's hands down the best prop in the comp. Someone said the other day he hasn't proven himself in Origin, or won a grand final, but he's won [five] Paul Morgan Medals with Brisbane, and a few Dally M props of the year. To me, when you watch him, he's the benchmark.' The frightening thing about Haas is he went into game one on limited preparation because of a quad injury – and now runs on to Optus Stadium injury-free and with a full week's worth of training. He is one of the rare big men with enough leg speed to get wide and run at the halves, just as he did with Daly Cherry-Evans and Cam Munster nearly three weeks ago. As for being the best prop in the game – potentially ever – Haas said: 'I've never looked at it like that. That chat is for other people. I don't play for the accolades, I play to win premierships, to win games, to have fun with my teammates, enjoy being in the present, and be where my feet are. I'm loving my time in Brisbane, and I'm loving my time in Origin camp. ''Madge' [Broncos coach Michael Maguire] has got me believing in myself and my leadership qualities. He's pushed me to be a leader, and I'm trying to be that leader around the boys at my club. 'He didn't want me to hurt myself before game one. I wanted to play, I expressed that to Madge, and he said, 'If you want to play, go and play'. He had a lot of faith in me.'
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
How Payne Haas helped end Laurie Daley's first spell in charge of NSW
'I wrote back, 'Be careful of what?' He then showed me a photo of the Queensland whiteboard, which simply said, 'Andrew Fifita'. 'I remember showing 'Loz' [Daley] and laughing and saying, 'That's when you know you've made it in Origin'. 'Then I heard they brought in Payne. He was only a schoolboy at the time, but he was big and versatile, we played kind of the same, and he was meant to mimic me. 'I think Cronulla played the Broncos last year and I wanted to know what had happened. He told me he was young, he helped Queensland out, but there's no way he'd do it now. 'That series ended up being the last one for Loz. It definitely cost me my chance to win an Origin series. 'Payne's not on the big money for nothing. He's so versatile, and knows what to do. He offloads, he attacks out wide – he does things front-rowers shouldn't do.' Haas, who was named man of the match following the 18-6 win over Queensland in game one last month, said he was never entirely sure what he was getting himself into when the young Broncos were called in to run an opposed session with the Maroons, a side which featured the likes of Billy Slater – now the Maroons' coach – Cameron Smith, and front-rowers Josh McGuire, Wallace and Josh Papali'i. Now 24, Haas also revealed how supercoach Wayne Bennett asked him to pledge his allegiance to the Maroons while still only a teenager in the Broncos system. Haas moved from Newcastle to the Gold Coast when he was 13, and he spent a short time in the Maroons pathways, only for Haas to come to his senses. The only thing that would have made the images of a beardless Haas training with the Maroons would have been him wearing the Queensland training gear, which, thankfully, he was not. 'I didn't know what I was getting into that day, they asked us Broncos boys to come in for an opposed session, and they wanted me to be a Fifita clone,' Haas said. 'It was weird because I was from NSW. Now, when I think back on it, if they asked me to do the same, I'd be like, 'f--- that'. 'I knew a few of the Queensland boys, including Josh McGuire, so it wasn't too bad. It was a cool experience at the time. I was given a taste of Origin, and got to find out how the players prepare. You also find out how much the Queenslanders hate us. Living in Queensland, I already knew that. 'I wanted to go hard against them and see how I went. It was good practice for me and I enjoyed it. 'We were at Sanctuary Cove. I was a baby then. I watched that first Origin game and Fifita killed it. 'I remember the Maroons wanting me to play for them. I remember Wayne Bennett wanting me to play for Queensland, and how he was off me when I told him I wanted to play for NSW. I knew I was always a Blue.' When you point out his Fifita impersonation helped Queensland put an end to Fifita's dominance on that series, and essentially left Daley without a job, Haas shakes his head and says: 'Loz had a great career in Origin. He's back here now. I'm indebted to him.' Haas was a standout when playing for NSW in the under-16s and under-18s. Mark O'Meley, a NSW hardman in his own right, coached Haas, and recalled how the Broncos front-rower, along with his Blues teammate Spencer Leniu, were the only pair to ever run over the top of him while holding tackling pads. One of the teams Haas loved watching growing up in the early 2000s was O'Meley's Bulldogs, which also featured Sonny Bill Williams, Willie Mason and Roy Asotasi. Loading O'Meley said of Haas: 'He's hands down the best prop in the comp. Someone said the other day he hasn't proven himself in Origin, or won a grand final, but he's won [five] Paul Morgan Medals with Brisbane, and a few Dally M props of the year. To me, when you watch him, he's the benchmark.' The frightening thing about Haas is he went into game one on limited preparation because of a quad injury – and now runs on to Optus Stadium injury-free and with a full week's worth of training. He is one of the rare big men with enough leg speed to get wide and run at the halves, just as he did with Daly Cherry-Evans and Cam Munster nearly three weeks ago. As for being the best prop in the game – potentially ever – Haas said: 'I've never looked at it like that. That chat is for other people. I don't play for the accolades, I play to win premierships, to win games, to have fun with my teammates, enjoy being in the present, and be where my feet are. I'm loving my time in Brisbane, and I'm loving my time in Origin camp. ''Madge' [Broncos coach Michael Maguire] has got me believing in myself and my leadership qualities. He's pushed me to be a leader, and I'm trying to be that leader around the boys at my club. 'He didn't want me to hurt myself before game one. I wanted to play, I expressed that to Madge, and he said, 'If you want to play, go and play'. He had a lot of faith in me.'
The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Bostock's four tries fire Dolphins to destroy Cowboys
The Dolphins have surged to sixth position on the NRL ladder, with four tries to winger Jack Bostock and another masterclass by halves Kodi Nikorima and Isaiya Katoa firing a 58-4 thrashing of North Queensland. Four-try hero Bostock, who will surely represent NSW in the future, ensured the Dolphins entered the stratosphere for attacking football and defensive resolve in sequence. The losing 54-point margin for the Cowboys was the worst in their history at home. The ruthless Dolphins became just the sixth side in premiership history to win three consecutive games by at least 36 points after a 56-6 win over St George Illawarra and a 44-8 victory against Canterbury. "We have got a great ability as a team to score points," Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf said. "The halves love playing together, but I also know that when we are defending really well that is when we are at our best. "We have got to make sure that we keep turning up and working hard and that we don't let a couple of wins weaken us ... and all of a sudden we get our pants pulled down." Former Cowboys centre Brent Tate said on Fox League it was "one of the worst" performances by the club he had seen, despite them missing four State of Origin stars. "It was a tough night," Cowboys coach Todd Payten said. The Dolphins have won seven of their past 10 matches and are clearly the best-coached and performed side of all the Queensland teams. With their four best forwards out for the season, the response of the side after a 0-4 start to the campaign has been nothing short of extraordinary under Woolf. Their oldest forwards Felise Kaufusi, 33, and Mark Nicholls, 35, led the pack up front in Townsville on Saturday with gusto and grunt. Nikorima has been the unsung hero of the Dolphins' resurgence. Katoa, with the most try assists this season, has got all the wraps and rightly so, but his veteran partner has been a linchpin figure. Both were electric against the Cowboys, who have won just one of their past six games. The Cowboys suffered a major blow in the warm-up when star forward Jason Taumalolo withdrew with a concern over an injured calf that had kept him out of action since round nine. Bostock scored early before Kaufusi was binned for a high shot on Cowboys replacement half Tom Duffy, minutes after stand-in captain Scott Drinkwater was also hit high. Both Cowboys went off for HIAs. Down to 12 men, the Dolphins were far too classy for the Cowboys, with Nikorima and Katoa creating a second try for Bostock. Katoa sliced through to put rampaging back-rower Oryn Keeley over under the sticks for a 16-0 lead. The Cowboys caught out the Dolphins on the short side with a slick move from Drinkwater to put winger Murray Taulagi over in the corner, but that was their only joy. Dolphins utility Kurt Donoghoe scored on the cusp of halftime for the Dolphins to lead 22-4 at the break. From there it was all the Dolphins, with Bostock, outstanding fill-in fullback Jake Averillo, devastating centre Herbie Farnworth, tough-as-teak Ray Stone and Nikorima all continuing the try-scoring extravaganza. The Dolphins have surged to sixth position on the NRL ladder, with four tries to winger Jack Bostock and another masterclass by halves Kodi Nikorima and Isaiya Katoa firing a 58-4 thrashing of North Queensland. Four-try hero Bostock, who will surely represent NSW in the future, ensured the Dolphins entered the stratosphere for attacking football and defensive resolve in sequence. The losing 54-point margin for the Cowboys was the worst in their history at home. The ruthless Dolphins became just the sixth side in premiership history to win three consecutive games by at least 36 points after a 56-6 win over St George Illawarra and a 44-8 victory against Canterbury. "We have got a great ability as a team to score points," Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf said. "The halves love playing together, but I also know that when we are defending really well that is when we are at our best. "We have got to make sure that we keep turning up and working hard and that we don't let a couple of wins weaken us ... and all of a sudden we get our pants pulled down." Former Cowboys centre Brent Tate said on Fox League it was "one of the worst" performances by the club he had seen, despite them missing four State of Origin stars. "It was a tough night," Cowboys coach Todd Payten said. The Dolphins have won seven of their past 10 matches and are clearly the best-coached and performed side of all the Queensland teams. With their four best forwards out for the season, the response of the side after a 0-4 start to the campaign has been nothing short of extraordinary under Woolf. Their oldest forwards Felise Kaufusi, 33, and Mark Nicholls, 35, led the pack up front in Townsville on Saturday with gusto and grunt. Nikorima has been the unsung hero of the Dolphins' resurgence. Katoa, with the most try assists this season, has got all the wraps and rightly so, but his veteran partner has been a linchpin figure. Both were electric against the Cowboys, who have won just one of their past six games. The Cowboys suffered a major blow in the warm-up when star forward Jason Taumalolo withdrew with a concern over an injured calf that had kept him out of action since round nine. Bostock scored early before Kaufusi was binned for a high shot on Cowboys replacement half Tom Duffy, minutes after stand-in captain Scott Drinkwater was also hit high. Both Cowboys went off for HIAs. Down to 12 men, the Dolphins were far too classy for the Cowboys, with Nikorima and Katoa creating a second try for Bostock. Katoa sliced through to put rampaging back-rower Oryn Keeley over under the sticks for a 16-0 lead. The Cowboys caught out the Dolphins on the short side with a slick move from Drinkwater to put winger Murray Taulagi over in the corner, but that was their only joy. Dolphins utility Kurt Donoghoe scored on the cusp of halftime for the Dolphins to lead 22-4 at the break. From there it was all the Dolphins, with Bostock, outstanding fill-in fullback Jake Averillo, devastating centre Herbie Farnworth, tough-as-teak Ray Stone and Nikorima all continuing the try-scoring extravaganza. The Dolphins have surged to sixth position on the NRL ladder, with four tries to winger Jack Bostock and another masterclass by halves Kodi Nikorima and Isaiya Katoa firing a 58-4 thrashing of North Queensland. Four-try hero Bostock, who will surely represent NSW in the future, ensured the Dolphins entered the stratosphere for attacking football and defensive resolve in sequence. The losing 54-point margin for the Cowboys was the worst in their history at home. The ruthless Dolphins became just the sixth side in premiership history to win three consecutive games by at least 36 points after a 56-6 win over St George Illawarra and a 44-8 victory against Canterbury. "We have got a great ability as a team to score points," Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf said. "The halves love playing together, but I also know that when we are defending really well that is when we are at our best. "We have got to make sure that we keep turning up and working hard and that we don't let a couple of wins weaken us ... and all of a sudden we get our pants pulled down." Former Cowboys centre Brent Tate said on Fox League it was "one of the worst" performances by the club he had seen, despite them missing four State of Origin stars. "It was a tough night," Cowboys coach Todd Payten said. The Dolphins have won seven of their past 10 matches and are clearly the best-coached and performed side of all the Queensland teams. With their four best forwards out for the season, the response of the side after a 0-4 start to the campaign has been nothing short of extraordinary under Woolf. Their oldest forwards Felise Kaufusi, 33, and Mark Nicholls, 35, led the pack up front in Townsville on Saturday with gusto and grunt. Nikorima has been the unsung hero of the Dolphins' resurgence. Katoa, with the most try assists this season, has got all the wraps and rightly so, but his veteran partner has been a linchpin figure. Both were electric against the Cowboys, who have won just one of their past six games. The Cowboys suffered a major blow in the warm-up when star forward Jason Taumalolo withdrew with a concern over an injured calf that had kept him out of action since round nine. Bostock scored early before Kaufusi was binned for a high shot on Cowboys replacement half Tom Duffy, minutes after stand-in captain Scott Drinkwater was also hit high. Both Cowboys went off for HIAs. Down to 12 men, the Dolphins were far too classy for the Cowboys, with Nikorima and Katoa creating a second try for Bostock. Katoa sliced through to put rampaging back-rower Oryn Keeley over under the sticks for a 16-0 lead. The Cowboys caught out the Dolphins on the short side with a slick move from Drinkwater to put winger Murray Taulagi over in the corner, but that was their only joy. Dolphins utility Kurt Donoghoe scored on the cusp of halftime for the Dolphins to lead 22-4 at the break. From there it was all the Dolphins, with Bostock, outstanding fill-in fullback Jake Averillo, devastating centre Herbie Farnworth, tough-as-teak Ray Stone and Nikorima all continuing the try-scoring extravaganza.
