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'Close to my heart': Origin history awaits NZ international Nikora
Joel Gould, AAP •  May 20th, 2026 10:54 am
Briton Nikora | Photo: AAP
New Zealand international Briton Nikora says Queensland gave his family "a better life" as he prepares to wear the Maroons jersey for the first time.
New eligibility rules allow the 28-year-old, who has played 16 Tests for the Kiwis, to line up in State of Origin due to his early years as a Gold Coast junior.
Former Maroons star Tonie Carroll, who famously represented New Zealand and Australia, is an anomaly in that he played for the Maroons in 1998 before being selected for the Kiwis.
Cronulla second-rower Nikora will come off the bench against NSW in the Origin series opener on May 27 in Sydney.
In the Origin context, the fact Nikora feels like a Maroon makes perfect sense after he played his junior footy at Parkwood Sharks on the Gold Coast and attended rugby league powerhouse Keebra Park High.
"I moved over here when I was nine years old," Nikora said.
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"Obviously a few things have been going on about the eligibility rules. People like it, some don't like it.
"But I've done all my schooling here. I grew up here. Queensland gave my family the opportunity and gave us a better life here, and that's what I carry close to my heart.
"I don't have too much to say (to the critics), I just want to prove it to them."
Nikora wants to make a real impact in his first game for the Maroons, where his hole-running expertise will add an extra dimension to the attack.
"I'm not here to just take part. I'm here to put this Queensland jersey in a better place," he said.
"If that's for one game or however many games I play ... I just want to prove myself.and actually show it. That's what I'm looking forward to."
New Maroons assistant coach Ben Te'o followed a similar path to Nikora.
Briton Nikora | Photo: AAP
Te'o moved to Australia as a teenager and also attended Keebra Park High, before playing seven Origins for Queensland.
"I looked up to Benny Te'o," he said.
"As I was coming up, I played in the same position, so just seeing him around camp, I'm still buzzing about it.
"I went to Keebra Park as well and you have all those type of players' names on the wall that have made it in the NRL, just for motivation at school. His name was on the wall as well.
"I did all my schooling on the Gold Coast and every lunch time it was always Origin, Queensland versus New South Wales stuff."
When Nikora debuted for the Kiwis in 2019 he was not envisaging Origin as a reachable goal, however Maroons coach Billy Slater made sure the new rules enabled him to realise a dream.
"When I made my debut (for New Zealand), everything came quick at me," said the Parkwood Sharks junior.
"Representing New Zealand ... you obviously couldn't do both at the time so I thought that dream was far gone.
"But once they changed the rules I could see an opportunity there. Then Billy gave me that call and I took it with both hands, so I'm just over the moon."
