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Live sport on SN this weekendMaking his Mark: secret sauce of a two-code genius
Joel Gould, AAP •  October 2nd, 2026 10:38 am
Mark Nawaqanitawase will bring his unique skills and thrills to the NRL grand final | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
When Mark Nawaqanitawase lit up the NRL preliminary final with a suite of magical acts his former Australia rugby sevens coach John Manenti responded with a knowing nod.
"That's just Marky," he said.
Manenti, on tour with his Sydney University side, spoke to AAP from Cape Town in South Africa at midnight his time.
He was delighted to talk for 15 minutes about the rise and rise of a "unique" player he first laid eyes on at St Patrick's College in Strathfield when he was 13.
Mark Nawaqanitawase was too hot to handle for the Dolphins in the NRL preliminary final | Photo: Jason O'Brien/AAP
Sydney Roosters winger Nawaqanitawase, who lines up in his first NRL grand final against Newcastle on Sunday, played under Manenti at Eastwood and most recently for Australia at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and 2024 Paris Olympics in sevens.
Manenti watched from afar as the 26-year-old former Wallaby they call "Marky Mark" destroyed the Dolphins 36-20 in the preliminary final with two tries, including a 90m intercept, plus an audacious Harlem Globetrotters pass for Robert Toia to score when he was millimetres from touch.
It was Nawaqanitawase's NRL finals record 342m from 28 hard runs that Manenti said summed up his former pupil.
Mark Nawaqanitawase's offloads are an area of his play he works tirelessly to improve | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
"I don't think people give him enough credit for how hard he works," Manenti said.
"I know people will see the intercept try and the offload for Toia's try but his 20-odd carries out of his own tryline for 300-plus hard metres sum him up. He didn't shirk it and copped a few on the chin.
"He's not looking for glory plays. He's looking for hard work. Then he gets the opportunity to do something special and we almost take it for granted how clever and talented he is.
"We just go, 'that's Marky'. I have been lucky enough to be around some pretty talented footballers but what he can do is unique.
"He's just a big game player and I'm very confident that in the grand final he is going to be a significant member of the Roosters team."
Mark Nawaqanitawase was feted by supporters at the NRL grand final fan fest | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
It would be easy to say Nawaqanitawase is a born talent but Manenti has watched him fine-tune relentlessly at training his chip and chase, the flick passes and offloads.
"He works on and does all sorts of things beyond his remit as a winger. That's why he has become such an extraordinary player," he said.
"In the early days he probably offloaded too much so he had to find the balance between what a smart offload was versus a low percentage play, but he has certainly found that balance."
Former Australia sevens rugby coach John Manenti relished his time with Mark Nawaqanitawase | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
There is a four-pointer Nawaqanitawase scored against Canterbury last year, the "Marky hop-to-it try", that will be replayed for as long as the game is played.
As he was pummelled and his right foot was about to go over the sideline Marky Mark hopped on his left, landed and kicked with his right into a narrow corridor with finesse to score before the ball went dead.
It was the Dally M try of the year but could easily be the try of the century.
Mark Nawaqanitawase lit up the rugby sevens for Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games | Photo: Iain McGregor/AAP
In Paris at the 2024 Olympic Games, when Manenti was coach, he did a Michael Jordan impersonation with an audacious one-handed basketball-style flick to set up a try and almost steal a bronze medal play-off win for Australia over South Africa.
Go on You Tube and it is littered with his rugby union and league moments of mayhem, including his displays in this year's State of Origin showpiece where he helped NSW secure a 2-1 series win.
"He is just a highlight machine, right? You could literally put together a 20-minute highlight package of his tries at the Roosters and he did plenty at the Wallabies," Manenti said.
"Marky came off the bench in that bronze medal match in Paris and nearly single-handedly won the game with a couple of freakish acts.
"He tried his heart out and after the game he was almost apologetic. 'I couldn't get it for you,' he said ... and that's just Marky too.
"He's somebody both codes can be really proud of and he sells tickets. The crowds love him. I know Australian rugby will be happy to get him back soon enough but what an impact he has had on the game of rugby league."
Mark Nawaqanitawase's tries make for an all-time highlight reel | Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP
Manenti has watched Nawaqanitawase, who has Italian and Fijian heritage, grow up and thrive as a standout rugby junior in sometimes average teams.
He played rugby with Manenti's son Harry at school. He has observed his bond with his "beautiful mother" Fiona, and watched him cope with the death of his stepfather Aisake Tovehi, who was a guiding light of his life, soon after the Paris Olympics.
Through it all, the character of Nawaqanitawase shines brighter than even his footballing genius.
Mark Nawaqanitawase (right) is always one to show gratitude to his Sydney Roosters teammates | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
"The thing I like about Mark is that he is just so humble and his love for his family and friends is so much bigger than Mark the footy player," Manenti said.
"We are all in awe of what he does on the rugby field but he is such a beautiful kid who is team-first.
"There were weeks this year when he wasn't scoring tries, but the Roosters were winning and he was just so happy for the success of his peers. When other blokes score tries you see how excited and happy he is.
"I don't think I've ever heard anyone say a bad word about who he is as a guy."
Mark Nawaqanitawase will be a hard man to stop for Australia at the 2027 Rugby World Cup | Photo: James Ross/AAP
The grand final will be Nawaqanitawase's last game in league, in this stint at least, before he links with Japanese rugby and no doubt the Wallabies ahead of the 2027 home World Cup
"I sent him a message the other night saying to enjoy this special grand final week and he just said, 'Thank you'," Manenti said.
"That is who he is. It's not about him. He is there for the success of the team. He will contribute massively."
