Queensland Maroons debutant Jojo Fifita has revealed he has not ruled out a return to rugby union to pursue the Wallabies ambitions he held before making the jump to the NRL.
While he has made his name at the Titans, the 23-year-old’s first passion was to follow in his father Pila’s footsteps. Pila represented Tonga at the 2003 Rugby World Cup, while a young Fifita took his talents to The Southport School on the Gold Coast.
In 2019, he coincidentally faced an Ipswich Grammar School outfit spearheaded by fellow uncapped Maroon Sam Walker in a 29-all draw to secure TSS an undefeated GPS Championships season.
“Sammy was the one running amok, it’s crazy to see him here too debuting at the same time,” Fifita said.
“I didn’t really have any idea I was going to go into league at that moment, and I probably wouldn’t have dreamed of this moment 10 years ago.”
Fifita admitted pulling on a Wallabies jersey had been his initial goal. At one stage, he scored four tries in a game with former Australia coach Dave Rennie watching on, and he confirmed it remained an option for him at some point in the future.
“[Going back to union] is definitely there in the back of my mind – probably not right now, but maybe in the near future,” he said.
Fifita’s parents were the first he called upon his Maroons initiation, each bursting into tears as he did.
It was Fifita’s father who convinced his son to push for NRL honours. The outside back had never played rugby league until he had graduated from high school where he had also been an under-15s national sprint champion.
Not that the transition came easily. He admitted his first training session with Tweed Seagulls proved a wake-up call as he adjusted to retreating 10 metres into defence to get onside. “Probably took a whole year for my calves to get used to it,” he quipped.
While Fifita’s immediate future is in league, Australian rugby’s facelift could mean a host of past and present NRL stars feature at next year’s Rugby World Cup.
Angus Crichton and Mark Nawaqanitawase will make the shift at season’s end and seek to join fellow former Rooster Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii in the gold jumper, with 2025 Blues star Zac Lomax now plying his trade for the Western Force.
Fifita’s one-time Titans teammate Carter Gordon has starred for the Queensland Reds this year, and former Manly product Tom Wright has been the country’s top fullback this decade.
Fifita and Walker are joined by Pat Carrigan (St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace), Kalyn Ponga (Anglican Church Grammar School) and Robert Toia (St Joseph’s College, Nudgee) as Maroons who were educated at rugby union-dominated schools.
Incoming Wallabies coach Les Kiss, who made his name as a player in rugby league with the Maroons and North Sydney Bears, said while cross-code prospects would always be considered, union was keeping an eye on the school systems to ensure good talent was not lost.
“I can speak from my small opportunity with RA that we are [monitoring school talent]. It’s just not as big and loud as other codes, but we are keeping a close eye on everyone on the ground,” Kiss said.
While the respective games have a history of player exchanges, former dual-code star Brad Thorn said the transition was far from easy.
Thorn became a premiership hero for the Brisbane Broncos, and featured for Queensland in 14 Origin games. He is also a Rugby World Cup winner with the All Blacks and won the 2008 Super Rugby title with the Crusaders.
After two stints in each code, Thorn still struggles to fathom how he made it work, but said more should consider following his lead.
“Anyone who wants to have a crack at that, I fully endorse either way. You live once. If you want to test yourself, that’s a pretty good test,” Thorn said.
“It’s humbling, and it takes some perseverance and some dedication to finally get instinctive in the game and start to be able to express the talent they have.
“There’s a part of me also that I want to back the guys who grow up playing rugby. There are guys coming across and doing different things and good on them – they’re taking on a challenge – but I also think there are really quality rugby kids coming through, and that’s been the dream the whole way.”
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
