Rugby league’s hottest rivalry might be over after just four games with Ronaldo Mulitalo and Mark Nawaqanitawase going at it for 80 minutes in one of the most fiery battles of the year before they showed their mutual respect when the full-time whistle sounded.
Wingers haven’t gone at it like that since Wendell Sailor and Adam MacDougall did it two decades ago, with Mulitalo’s relentless chirping and his aggression bringing out a side of Nawaqanitawase that we’ve never seen before.
The Roosters winger threw the ball at his Cronulla rival at one stage and accidentally hit Braydon Trindall instead, with Nawaqanitawase wearing a forearm on the ground but having the last laugh with two tries and a 27-8 win.
The pair were inseparable as they contested kicks at Allianz Stadium and combined for three tries on Sunday night that left fans wanting more.
But there won’t be another meeting this year unless the sides clash in the finals, while it could also be their last confrontation unless Nawaqanitawase returns to the NRL after his move back to rugby union in 2027.
“When was the last time everyone wanted to watch a game with two wingers going at it?” Mulitalo asked after the game.
“When people come to pay their hard-earned money to come watch people go at it (it’s good to put on a show) and I’m going to back myself all day.
“But it’s a good contest. Sometimes you’ve got to take some humble pie, and he won today. We’ll get back to the drawing board, have some rest, spend some time with my family, and then I’ll get back to work.”
It was a big week for Nawaqanitawase, who made his Origin debut on Wednesday and then sent a scare through NSW when he stayed down with a foot injury that he says was just a problem with the tape protecting an existing issue.
But he probably needed ear plugs after his battle with Mulitalo.
“I threw the ball today. I never actually react but he got a little bit out of me,” he said.
“But at the end of the day I just have to do my work and let the footy do the talking. I think that’s fair enough.
“It (the banter) is annoying while you’re playing, but it fires everyone up. So it’s good, and it kept my team in check. I love the boys, they backed me up when it got a bit fiery there. At the same time, it was good not to lose our heads there as well.
“He’s actually a great fella after the whistle. He’s a lovely man and I can’t fault him. He just loves the competition of the game, so it’s a credit to him.
“He’s a talented winger. I think for his team he’s very important.”
The pair have squared off four times in the NRL, with the ledger locked at two wins apiece, although Mulitalo scored a double last year when the Sharks knocked the Roosters out of the finals.
There was a heated moment in their first meeting when the Sharks star was sent to the sin bin for a high shot on the former Wallaby, and Mulitalo was happy to cop it after Sunday’s loss after putting on a show for the fans.
“He got the two points at the end of the day, so I’m going to eat my humble pie today. He gave me a good lesson today, but that’s the respect that we have,” he said.
“There are two wingers going at it. I can’t remember the last game that everyone watched two wingers have a crack at it, so I had to put some respect on the wingers and show that we can get into the rumble as well.
“This is what I do it for. I’m not scared of anything. I put my nuts on the line, I put my everything on the line to get out there and give you guys a show. He got it tonight, but I move on and we carry on with the season.
“I don’t think anyone wants to watch Roosters and Sharkies go at it after that (when Nawaqanitawase leaves).
“I’m sure you guys enjoyed it every time the ball went in the air with me and him, everyone was loving it. Everyone pays their hard-earned money to come watch people play at it.
“He’s an elite athlete, but at the end of the day, I’ll back myself and he’ll back himself. And he’s a special talent, so you’ve got to give him respect, give him his credit where credit’s due.”
The intense battle ended the moment the siren sounded, with Mulitalo respecting his rival for not being a “crybaby”.
“We’ve got the best mutual respect for each other and we understand the game. I respect him more by going hard and giving him my hardest, and he respects the same,” he said.
“We exchanged words during the game, but everyone does. But if you’re one of those crybabies at the end of the 80 minutes, then you shouldn’t be playing the game.
“It’s a gentleman’s game, it’s a rough man’s game. And after 80 minutes, if you’re still carrying on, you’re a crybaby. But it is what it is, we carry on and I’m just happy to be back after my ACL.
“He’s a freak athlete for what he’s been able to do, it’s unfortunate we’re losing him to union.
“But at the end of the day, I’m a Cronulla Shark. If I come out and say, ‘Oh yeah, ‘Marky Mark’ is much better than me’, what does that tell my fan base, my teammates, my club?
“I’m one of those guys; if you’re going to give it, you can take it. Last year we knocked them out, this year they got me today, and we’ll go back to the drawing board.”
Originally published as ‘Humble pie’: Mark Nawaqanitawase and Ronaldo Mulitalo deliver their take on hottest rivalry in rugby league