Wests Tigers prodigy says switch to rugby union is “100 per cent” an option

“Coming from rugby it would be good to go back,” he said. “100 per cent it’s an option. But my passion is with rugby league right now. I want to finish my goals first. I’ll see what happens down the track … I’ll [focus] on rugby league, but if there’s any other opportunity, my manager will take care of that.”

Makasini’s father, Mosese, represented Tonga in rugby and played in the Sydney club rugby premiership, the Shute Shield. When former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans tried to lure his son to Japanese rugby and the Waratahs were also interested in his services, Mosese encouraged him to pursue rugby union.

“His dream was always seeing me in a Wallabies jersey,” Makasini said.

“He said to me at the end of the day, it’s my decision, so he was kind of happy both ways.”

There are no regrets about his decision to opt for league, but admits it was a “pretty close decision”.

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“The week before I signed with Tigers, I just finished coming from Australian Schoolboys in New Zealand,” he said. “Beating New Zealand over in New Zealand, that was kind of a special moment for myself and a special memory as well.

“That’s where things kind of go hard, whether to choose union or league. Obviously just playing union more than league throughout that season, my heart, my mind was leaning towards union.

“But then I was just thinking about the Tigers, they were building special things and I just wanted to be a part of it.