‘It’s only the start of his journey’: Roosters to unleash teenage wrecking ball as Mark Nawaqanitawase locked in to make his NRL debut

Roosters coach Trent Robinson says the instinctive things he saw from former Wallabies winger Mark Nawaqanitawase in three NSW Cup games gave him the confidence to unleash him against South Sydney on Friday night just weeks after representing Australia in sevens at the Paris Olympics.

Nawaqanitawase wasn’t expected to play any first-grade games this year after being granted an early release from his Rugby Australia deal to switch codes, having signed a two-year deal with the Roosters.

But he’s impressed in the NSW Cup with two tries in three games and the hulking former Wallaby will replace speedster Dom Young (calf) on the right wing in the side’s final regular season game in a hotly anticipated NRL debut.

“I feel like he’s played really well for the three games (he’s had in NSW Cup),” Robinson said on Thursday, revealing he deliberately tried to not put any public pressure on Nawaqanitawase who he noticed was confident in his ability from the outset.

“His instincts have been really good and I’m looking forward to getting him out there tomorrow night.

“I’ve really liked what I’ve seen from him, and it was that Dom wasn’t quite going to get there with a couple of niggles so it was a good chance to get him in there and playing.

“You know someone’s football talent with the way that they move and run, but then you’re looking for their instincts when it comes to movements at the end of six tackles, how they’re going to move based on the kicker, how they’re going to adapt to the play the ball and all those things.

“He’s an intelligent guy who did his work before he got here and then he’s played really well in those games which gave me confidence to select him for this weekend.”

Nawaqanitawase is one of several fresh faces in the side after the Roosters lost Sam Walker, Brandon Smith and Victor Radley to long-term injuries in last week’s costly loss to the Raiders.

There had been calls for rugby-bound Joseph Manu to replace Walker in the halves, but Robinson says he was always going to pick Sandon Smith given he’s the man who will start for them next year when Luke Keary leaves.

“It wasn’t even a choice. Sandon is a very good half,” Robinson said, with Smith last starting in the halves back in round three when the Roosters smashed Souths by 42 points.

“The decisions that have been made for next year are around the fact that Sandon is our guy, so the belief in him is sky high so we want him to play his style.

“He’s been doing that really well and I love the way that he plays the game.”

The Roosters have made another late change with representative prop Lindsay Collins to be rested, which means highly touted teenager De La Salle Va’a will get even more opportunities when he makes his debut off the bench.

Having started the year in SG Ball, Roosters fans are very excited about Va’a, who is 198cm, 114kg and has already caught the eye of his coach.

“He’s a front-rower, and when I say that, I mean it in the truest sense of the word,” Robinson said.

“He’s a true front-rower who knows the code that they play with, and he’s been doing that from a young age.

“He came down from Queensland, played Harold Matts and SG Ball, went to school down here, played SG Ball at the start of the year and now NRL at the end of the year.

“It’s a really good story but it’s only the start of his journey.”