Jeremiah Nanai

Jeremiah Nanai leaps for a high ball, and for a suspended moment, he hangs in the air like a basketball player completing a slam dunk — all athletic power and grace, arriving at a height that other forwards cannot reach. It is this extraordinary vertical leap, combined with a try-scoring instinct that borders on the preternatural, that makes the North Queensland Cowboys second-rower one of the most exciting young forwards in the NRL. His emergence as a State of Origin and Kangaroos representative at just twenty-two marks him as a future star of the game, a player whose athletic gifts are matched by a competitive desire that burns fiercely.

Career Statistics

Player Profile

In just 80 games, Nanai has already scored 35 tries — a remarkable strike rate for a second-rower that speaks to his unique ability to find the tryline from positions that other forwards would never occupy. His athletic ability, his try-scoring instinct, and his representative credentials at such a young age mark him as one of the most valuable forwards in the NRL. In 2026, Nanai continues to terrorise opposition edges for the Cowboys, a young star whose best football promises to redefine what is possible from the back row.

EC — Senior features writer, australiafootball.com