Few players have hit the NRL with a bigger impact than the Cowboy’s Jeremiah Nanai.
Born in New Zealand, raised in North Queensland and of Samoan heritage, Nanai was a schoolboy star before joining the Cowboys on a development contract in 2021.
He made his first-grade debut with the club as an 18-year-old later that year and hasn’t been out of the team since.
He’s proved to be an exceptional attacking player from day one, an instinctive hole runner with a knack for being in the right place at the right time, with the aerial skills of an outside back.
Nanai notched up 18 NRL tries before he turned 20 and it was no surprise when he was named both Dally M Rookie of the Year and Dally M Second Rower of the year in 2022.
As if riding the Cowboy wave all the way to the 2022 finals wasn’t enough for Nanai, he also played all three games for Queensland in their 2022 victorious origin campaign and then found himself on the plane to England in Australia’s World Cup squad.
He played two games for the Kangaroos, scoring a try in each, and surely life couldn’t get any better for young Jeremiah? But get better it did, and the young gun signed a reputed $3.6m contract extension before the 2023 season got underway, which will keep him at the Cowboys until the end of 2027.
The talented young forward has his football and financial future seemingly assured well before his 21st birthday celebrations.
Sound familiar?
The last young Queensland back rower to burst on to the rugby league scene like Nanai was David Fifita. Like Nanai, Fifita was a schoolboy star who made his first-grade debut as an 18-year-old and has been there ever since.
Fifita played all three origins for Queensland in 2019 in just his second year in first grade, and was also selected for both the Prime Minister’s XIII and Australia in the RLWC 9s that same year.
Injury saw him miss most of 2020 as the Broncos tumbled to their first wooden spoon, but while recovering, he signed a $3m three-year deal with the Titans commencing in 2021, making him the second highest-paid forward in the game after Cowboy’s wrecking ball Jason Taumalolo.
Happy days for David, the rugby league world was at his feet.
David Fifita (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Fifita’s 2021 form for the Titans could best be described as patchy, despite scoring 17 tries from 22 starts, and he played two more Origins for the Maroons that year after being selected more on reputation and hope than on form.
When 2022 saw his form and game involvement dip significantly, he was omitted from the Maroons squad. Titans fans and their coach Justin Holbrook were wondering when he was going to start not only fulfilling his potential, but also earning his salary.
By the end of the season, he was well behind Beau Fermor as the best second rower in the club, let alone anywhere else.
No one can blame either Nanai or Fifita for accepting the huge dollars being thrown at them, but it’s questionable whether their salaries can ever be justified for any reason other than to secure their services in the face of competition from rival clubs.
Nanai’s contract was upgraded after just 27 first-grade games, including two off the bench, while the Titans went all-in on Fifita after he had played just 37 first-grade games, including 17 off the bench. Astounding stuff!
It’s hard to imagine having so much unexpected wealth at such an early age, and the impact it has on one’s ego, drive and future motivation.
However, the big dollars come with even bigger expectations, and it must be very difficult to stay grounded and have a sense of perspective.
Fans expect that players who are fabulously paid will win their club games, week in and week out, and mediocrity is unacceptable.
In many ways, contracts like this are setting players up to fail, particularly young players. While it’s hard to think of many young players who’ve gone on to reach their potential after such a lucrative start, there’s a long list of those whose careers have fallen by the wayside.
Let’s hope that Jeremiah Nanai can avoid a post-contract slump, stay grounded, and receive the support he will need to successfully tread the ‘potential superstar’ path.
The Cowboys will have to manage him carefully, or risk both his future career and their substantial financial investment.
Titanic
Roar Rookie
The rate at which players mature is so variable that there is no "norm". Who knows where Nanai ends up, or whether Fifita for that matter continues his development after a rocky 2022. Clubs face a difficult conundrum when faced with big contract offers from rivals, as do the players who are well within their rights to grab the best deal they can irrespective of the side-effects. The only ones who have a clear choice are the players' managers: 10% of a million is unarguably better than 10% of the 400k prodigies are really worth.
Titanic
Roar Rookie
Gosh, you lot are likes wolves in sheeps' clothing.
Tony
Roar Guru
Probably, and it's a symptom of all the money in the game these days
Panthers
Roar Rookie
One bonus for clubs, is that a few players are making their contract renewal amounts far lower .
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Some clubs were rushing big dollars at 18 year old SG Ball players recently. Do you think that’s a recipe for disaster ?
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
That's a very sad story there NQR. You know my thoughts on recruiting . I believe if a young NQ lad shows promise pick him first. If you have two guys in the team of roughly equal talent and you have to lose one, it's not the local. The Cows can't compete with the Storm, Roosters, Broncs etc in recruiting the cream of young players from all over the place but we can keep the best of our own and this should be a priority. In some ways I have thought 2017 was the worst thing that ever happened to the club. It meant we kept older players that couple of years too long rather than having a clean out and restock. Still I'm an optimist. The talent is there let's just make sure we bloody well keep it.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Agree, Hiku will get beaten on the outside by any player with pace. But I still think Nanai is not the answer to our centre issues. We need to find one in NQ.
Griffo 09
Roar Rookie
Baaa humbug!
NQR
Roar Rookie
Nanai is an excellent talent with skills, strength and football smarts. There a few more where he come from in NQ and I think Luki is ever bit as good. This might break your heart Jimmmy but I have an apprentice who came through as a centre in Ponga’s year. He was a centre who also filled in Front row for QLD in Junior Reps football, clocked 11 flat for the 100m and weighed about 95kg at 18 years old. He has a chuckle and says NSW didn’t go close to beating his age group. He laughs about Luai saying who’s your daddy because he tells me they never lost a game against Cleary, Luai and friends all through juniors. The Cowboys only signed Ponga, GGM, Tuala and Cotter from his year? 2015 GF win had a few blokes hang around too long unfortunately. He gave the game away at 21 because the Cowboys were more focused on signing Kahu, Opacic, Drinkwater, McGuire and Masters. He didn’t think it was worth perusing a contract after watching how he’s mates GGM, Ponga and Cotter were treated at the time. Sadly the 100-110kg centre you crave is watching the game.
Gus O
Roar Rookie
A really fast opposing centre or fullback is likely to burn Hiku just as easily as they would Nanai if olaying centre.
Tony
Roar Guru
Rack off :happy:
Gus O
Roar Rookie
In his playing days I saw him at the airport working through a BIG tray of McDonalds. He looked like a huge fan of their food.
Gus O
Roar Rookie
If DF 2022 season had matched his 2021 season, what would rugby union be prepared to offer him? A mobile, well balanced and destructive ball runner who can step, can offload, is surprisingly quick for his size and has an excellent pass… how is he not on the ARU radar to play in the centres? It looks like the only way he could get a pay rise ????
Griffo 09
Roar Rookie
Lest we be like lambs to the slaughter.
John Allan
Roar Rookie
Can’t pull the wool over your eyes.
R N
Roar Rookie
I agree. His decision making could improve... however I think in 2 years time with more maturity and fitness we will be discussing how well he shuts his side of the field down.
Griffo 09
Roar Rookie
I like a good pun but don’t ‘ram’ it down our throats.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Absolutely RN. He is just such a sweet mover. The only thing I don't like is the crucial missed tackles . He has to stay focused . He doesn't need to be Grunt be he does have to stay in the game . I think it will all come with maturity.
R N
Roar Rookie
Agree Jimmy he is worth the $. I love this kid! He is one of those players I just don't care about the stats that much. I want him to pull his weight but I don't want him running 200 metres a game and making 50 tackles, he just not that type of player. As long as he is around the ball something good will happen. He did two off loads last weekend that hardly got a mention by the commentary but were absolutely sublime, he scored 1 try and had one denied. The kid is sniper not a grunt. Would hate to see him Ashley Harrison himself and dull his weaponry to become a reliable tackling machine! This rather than becoming Fifita is my fear for his career!
John Allan
Roar Rookie
Are “ewe”sure, Tony?