{"id":168523,"date":"2025-09-25T17:05:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T17:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/168523\/"},"modified":"2025-09-25T17:05:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T17:05:16","slug":"mark-nawaqanitawase-return-wallabies-world-cup-exclusive-analysis-reaction-opinion-carter-gordon-next-on-hitlist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/168523\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Nawaqanitawase return, Wallabies, World Cup, exclusive analysis, reaction, opinion, Carter Gordon next on hitlist"},"content":{"rendered":"

News of Mark Nawaqanitawase’s<\/a> decision to return to rugby after the 2026 NRL season has been met with raucous applause from union fans and typical groaning from some in league circles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The lure of playing in a home Rugby World Cup<\/a> in 2027 was just too good to bypass for the man they call ‘Marky Mark.’<\/p>\n

While it’s a huge boost for the profile of the Wallabies and that tournament<\/a>, it’s expected Nawaqanitawase will ply his club trade in Japan or France, meaning fans aren’t likely to see the talented outside back playing rugby on Australian soil for nearly two years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Watch the 2025 Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship with every match streaming live and on demand on the home of rugby, Stan Sport<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Mark<\/p>\n

Mark Nawaqanitawase and Taniela Tupou at the UCD Bowl in Dublin. \u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

It will be worth the wait.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Playing abroad will also mean Rugby Australia has to pay next to nothing – except for Test match payments – for his exploits in gold.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whether by design or dumb luck, that’s a fortunate piece of business for a sporting administration still squeezing every penny.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Postecoglou remains winless after turning to Jesus<\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE: Hynes sends warning to former teammate<\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE: Lions star backs Neale as ‘biggest risk ever’ looms<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Rob<\/p>\n

Rob Leota, Samu Kerevi, Carter Gordon, Mark Nawaqanitawase of Australia.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

Where there should be consideration for spending is in repatriating Nawaqanitawase’s former teammate, Carter Gordon, from league.<\/p>\n

But unlike with Nawaqanitawase, RA must get Gordon to return immediately, or not bother at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a flyhalf, Gordon will need every bit of the next 24 months lead in to the World Cup, if he is to be Australia’s commander in chief.<\/p>\n

NEW PODCAST! The crew unpack Max Jorgensen’s Bledisloe Cup switch and Mark Nawaqanitawase’s impending return to rugby<\/p>\n

The No.10 jersey is really the only big question mark still remaining at the selection table.<\/p>\n

The merry-go-round with James O’Connor’s return trip to the UK last week is proof of that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Joe Schmidt has three inexperienced 10s in his squad: Ben Donaldson, Tane Edmed and Tom Lynagh.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Australia<\/p>\n

Australia coach Joe Schmidt before the Autumn Nations Series match.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

Any one of them could be the man to lead Australia in 2027 – they’re all more than capable – but none have delivered any conclusive evidence to suggest they’re ‘the guy.’<\/p>\n

Schmidt has admirably tried to back the youngsters, but must be scratching his head over who the long-term playmaker is.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It may not be Gordon, but it just may be, and for that reason it’s worth trying to lure him back.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Ben<\/p>\n

Ben Donaldson of Australia celebrates with Carter Gordon.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

Big, physical, fast and with a booming boot, the ingredients are there for the making of a very good flyhalf.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Adding another option into the mix cannot be a bad thing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are reports RA has already inquired about the possibility of getting Gordon out of the final year of his contract with the Titans.<\/p>\n

Whether that comes off remains to be seen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Because of a scary, career-threatening neck injury, Gordon’s switch to league has not been anywhere near the success Nawaqanitawase has experienced.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He finally made his NRL debut for Gold Coast in round 27 this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Carter<\/p>\n

Carter Gordon of the Titans is tackled.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

Many judges expected the 24-year-old to appear in the top grade for the Titans from the opening round in 2025 and many still expect him to start next season at the NRL level.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But would the chance to return to rugby, rejoin a resurgent Wallabies and make a statement to be Australia’s leading man at a home World Cup – possibly kicking cross field for Nawaqanitawase to soar high and score – outweigh another probable losing season on the Gold Coast?<\/p>\n

Gee, you’d have to think so.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Michael Hooper raised an interesting point on this week’s episode of Inside Line on Stan Sport: Nawaqanitawase is not only eligible to represent Australia in 2027, but also Fiji and Italy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If the freakishly talented, try-scoring machine does sign a big money contract in an overseas league, there’s nothing stopping the Italians or Fijians from trying to lure him to represent their flag.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While a return to rugby has been signalled, a return to gold isn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion.<\/p>\n

Food for thought for at Moore Park.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"News of Mark Nawaqanitawase’s decision to return to rugby after the 2026 NRL season has been met with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":168524,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-168523","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nrl","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-national-rugby-league","11":"tag-nationalrugbyleague","12":"tag-nrl","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168523"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168523\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}