Nene Macdonald is happy at Salford Red Devils but he admits he would be open to offers from the NRL should they arise. Macdonald enjoyed a fine season in Super League, with the centre doing enough to help the Red Devils into the play-offs and claim a spot in the Super League Dream Team.
The 30-year-old, who made the move over to England back in 2022 and represented both Leigh and Leeds Rhinos before joining Salford a year ago ahead of the 2024 campaign, scored 12 tries in Super League while he also made a whopping 3621m over the course of the season.
His form was enough to see him recognised by Papua New Guinea this month and he claimed his 17th cap for the Kumuls in a 22-10 win over Fiji on Saturday. Macdonald played out of position at full-back, but he still managed to record a try and an assist in the Pacific Championships clash.
Salford fans will be hoping to see Macdonald continue his superb form in red next season, but if an NRL club were to come calling, it seems the centre would be interested.
“If anyone needs me, I’m ready,” Macdonald told NRL.com about the possibility of a return Down Under. “I’m very happy at Salford, as well, but everyone wants to play NRL. That’s the top comp.”
Macdonald penned a four-year deal with Salford last season to commit his future until the end of the 2027 Super League season. That allows Salford to sit comfortably despite the centre displaying what has arguably been his best form for some time.
“I feel like off-field I’m getting things right,” he said when discussing the reason for his uptick in form. “I’m just doing the right things with my training and eating, and sort of departing from my old ways.
“It showed in the Super League. I had a good season, so organising my life off the field helped me on the field.”
He added: “I’ve had conversations with coaches, and it was always the same – ‘if you get your off field right, you’ve got all the talent in the world, but it’s the off field that’s letting you down.
“I look back now, and I started playing [in the NRL] pretty young, but my professionalism wasn’t at its best and I think my talent allowed me to get away with it.
“I was partying a lot, not concentrating, and not training the best. Now I’m putting all that aside and it’s been an amazing year just getting my off field right and reaping the rewards because of that.”
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