He is the uncapped attacking livewire who boasts one of rugby league’s most enviable try-scoring records. As Dudley Dotoi gets ready for the World Cup, a legend of the sport says the event will prove he belongs in the NRL.
“This is a really good platform and arena for [Dotoi] to shine and try and show the NRL that’s where he belongs,” one-time Kangaroo Terry Campese told this masthead.
“He’s pretty much got everything you want as an outside back and as a footy player. He’s got strength, speed and this agility about him that’s really hard to come by.”
Campese has brought the Papua New Guinea flyer under his wing since taking the coaching reins at the Townsville Blackhawks, helping the 23-year-old towards consecutive Winger of the Year accolades in the Queensland Cup.
Despite the statistics the boy from Bowen has produced – including 62 tries from just 53 games – his NRL exposure has been limited to a West Tigers stint fresh out of high school, and a train and trial opportunity last summer with the North Queensland Cowboys.
After his schoolboy talents were shown at Kirwan State High School, where he shared in state championship glory with Jeremiah Nanai, Dotoi took time to understand what it took to succeed.
A brief demotion followed one occasion when he couldn’t meet a commitment and failed to tell his teammates. But a frank conversation about being there for them triggered change, and in 2026 he was credited with 11 try assists from the flank.
“Being punctual is probably the easiest word to wrap it all up. His priorities at the time – putting training first – he probably didn’t do that as a young kid,” Campese said.
“Communication is the big one … communicating with the people who can help you through it. I remember one day he turned up late to training, it was only five minutes, and it was captain’s run, and I had to sit him out.
“When you’re out in the trenches, and it’s the 79th minute, people want to know they can rely on you and you’ve got their back.
“He’s got so much talent and so much more to offer. I want to see him play in the NRL.”
With Kumuls winger Alex Johnston ruled out of the World Cup through injury, the door has opened for Dotoi to make his mark at the World Cup, with the PNG campaign beginning against Lebanon on October 17.
Equipped with “unbelievable strength” and a “spider sense” to reel in bombs, the development of his grunt work coming out of the back field and defensive intent have caught Campese’s eye, with the coach revealing Dotoi would set targets for yardage carries to hit each week.
Campese first assessed Dotoi’s mindset as “I’ll score three, and they’ll score one”. Now, that had shifted to “he can score five tries and the other guys score none” – a feat he achieved against Souths Logan this year.
Dotoi is joined in PNG camp by Blackhawks’ teammate Bailey Biondi-Odo, with the halfback set to link up with the New Zealand Warriors for 2027.
After 12 NRL appearances for the Bulldogs, injuries derailed the 24-year-old – a ruptured ACL followed by continued groin, calf and hamstring issues. But after Campese asked Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo about the No.7, he sensed he had a winner.
Despite spending “probably 80 per cent of the year” unable to kick as he nursed injury niggles, Biondi-Odo has impressed to the point where the opportunity for a remarkable career resurrection nears. The Kumuls will be without Lachlan Lam (wrist surgery), while the Warriors have farewelled Luke Metcalf, Jett Cleary and Luke Hanson from their halves stocks.
Campese – who spent his 10-year career with the Canberra Raiders in the halves – was adamant Biondi-Odo’s vision to see plays ahead of time and position himself to support made him a lethal threat, and he backed both the Mount Isa product and Dotoi to follow in the footsteps of fellow NRL late-bloomers Jamal Fogarty, Cody Walker and Trai Fuller.
“I reckon both of them have the ability and attributes and mindset to be [NRL players], and once they get a sniff, they won’t be giving up that spot,” Campese said.
“There will have to be a decent player coming through wanting to take it off them because I think it’s something they’ll grab with both hands.”
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