Super League star firmly on NRL radar amid recent comments

One Super League star has caught the eye of several NRL coaches during the recent Pacific Championships according to a leading commentator.

The end-of-season internationals have finally wrapped up now with Australia holding off a Tonga fightback and New Zealand hammering Papua New Guinea to avoid relegation.

There was Super League representation for all teams barring Australia but one of those who has massively caught the eye is Papua New Guinea’s Nene Macdonald.

The former Leeds Rhinos man is coming off an impressive 2024 campaign with Salford that saw him land Dream Team honours. That form carried over for PNG and has led to NRL speculation, only fuelled further given comments from Macdonald.

After the opening game against Fiji, Macdonald said: “If anyone needs me, I’m ready,” as he conceded he’d be willing to return to the NRL given that it is the ‘top comp’.

He would double down on that after Sunday’s 54-12 loss to New Zealand with further comments about his NRL aspirations and now, it’s been claimed by leading voices down under that there is serious interest in the Super League star.

Super League star turning heads of NRL teams

That has been revealed by NRL commentators Andrew Voss and Michael Ennis who spoke about the Salford star’s performance during the game.

Despite racking up 114 metres against the Kiwis, Voss adjudged: “Nene Macdonald has been nowhere near his dazzling best from the first two weeks against Fiji and the Cook Islands.

“They really needed him tonight but Macdonald hasn’t quite been on point.”

At that point, Ennis put forward that the Super League man could have fallen short in what was somewhat of an NRL audition given the dominance in his previous two performances.

Ennis explained: “I think definitely with his previous two performances, he had a number of NRL coaches thinking ‘Maybe’.

“Maybe they could get Nene Macdonald back and they were probably waiting to see how he went against some opposition like what New Zealand would present tonight and he just hasn’t been as dazzling.”

Leaping to his defence, Voss would explain that Macdonald was playing out of position after being handed the number one shirt for PNG as opposed to his preferred position of centre.

“The problem is that he has played all bar one game this year for Salford in the centres and made the Super League Dream Team. Don’t just look at him as a full-back,” Voss explained, teeing up Ennis to tease that NRL interest likely remains.

He responded: “Yeah, there is still plenty of footy in Nene Macdonald if you’re willing to take a chance.”

With the NRL bid for a team based in Papua New Guinea being successful and that team possibly looking set to arrive in the NRL for the 2028 campaign, Macdonald could be a prime candidate to play for the club. His current Super League deal expires at the end of the 2027 season meaning he will be a free agent from 2028, aged 33.