‘That’s a loss’: Phil Gould reacts to NRL star’s reported rugby return

Rugby league personality Phil Gould has described Mark Nawaqanitawase’s decision to leave the NRL as a “terrible shame” for the sport, with the former Wallabies winger reportedly returning to rugby union in a bid to play at the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup.

Sydney Morning Herald journalist Michael Chammas has revealed that Nawaqanitawase has told the Sydney Roosters that he will be leaving the club after the 2026 NRL season. It’s understood Nawaqanitawase will pursue a deal in either French or Japanese rugby.

Nawaqanitawase is believed to be in the mix to play for Australia during their 2025 Ashes Series against England following a sensational campaign with the Tricolours, which saw the Paris Olympian top the try-scoring charts at the end of the regular season.

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Ahead of the NRL preliminary finals, the Rugby League Players Association revealed their Dream Team for the 2025 season, with Nawaqanitawase selected on one wing. Nawaqanitawase was also named the 2025 Players’ Rookie of the Year.

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii left the Roosters after the 2024 NRL season, and Rugby Australia’s multi-million dollar man has gone on to star at both Super Rugby Pacific and Test level, which included a Player of the Match performance on debut for the Wallabies.

As Gould explained when told about Nawaqanitawase’s reported decision to head back to the 15-player game, “It seems to me we’ve heard this song before.”

“It’s the same thing with Suaalii,” Gould said on Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles with Gus.

“That’s a loss. Anyway, that’s the modern world, mate.

“That’s what they’ve bought. They’ve bought a good player but they’ve bought 12 months of publicity now. It’s a good investment. They got 12 months of publicity out of Suaalii before he went – how’s he gone in the rugby? I haven’t seen.

“[It’s a] terrible shame. What a sensation he’s been… what an athlete, what a great player. It’s sad for our game, I would’ve liked to have seen him in our game long-term. Anyway, such is life.”

Chammas has reported that Nawaqanitawase wants to play for the Wallabies at the 2027 World Cup on Australian soil, but that doesn’t mean the winger will play for any of the nation’s four Super Rugby Pacific sides.

It’s been reported that Nawaqanitawase will look to sign a deal overseas. With Rugby Australia’s Director of Performance, Peter Horne, revealing a couple of months ago that “the Giteau Law’s kind of redundant”, Nawaqanitawase would still be eligible for Wallabies selection.

The Wallabies are currently first on The Rugby Championship ladder, having played four Tests so far against the Springboks and Los Pumas. With it all to play for in the final two rounds, the Wallabies will face the All Blacks in Auckland and Perth.