With a nickname as daunting as the one he adopted in the NRL, Frank-Paul Nu’uausala is used to pressure. Dubbed “Frank-Paul the Wrecking Ball” by the commentator Ray Warren, there is inevitable pressure on Wigan’s newest recruit as he gears up for his Super League debut – but defying expectations is nothing new for the imposing 29-year-old.
Nu’uausala was well on the way to fulfilling a dream to play for his boyhood club New Zealand Warriors before, at the age of 18, he was told by the Warriors’ coach, Ivan Cleary, he did not have the work ethic to make it at the top level.
Yet fast forward a decade, and the prop, who has signed for Wigan until the end of 2019, has established a fearsome reputation as one of the world’s most dynamic and destructive forwards.
Born in Auckland, he is an NRL and World Club Challenge winner as well as a runner-up with the Kiwis in the 2013 World Cup. Nu’uausala has insisted he is comfortable with the hype and expectation placed on his shoulders once again, this time as he prepares to begin his Super League career with a potential debut on Friday against the defending champions, Leeds.
“When you come from the NRL and you play in internationals and Grand Finals there’s always an expectation to perform, but the pressure is all from me,” he said. “I’m an overseas import and there’ll be an extra eye on me so I need to live up to the billing. I’m always trying to prove people wrong, as there’s a bit of a chip on my shoulder in that regard.”
Nu’uausala landed in the country only on Monday but, with Wigan’s injury problems mounting before the trip to Headingley, he is ready to play if needed. He has not played a competitive match since April.
“I really do want to play but I know if I’m not right, I’m not going to put my hand up and disrespect that jersey,” Nu’uausala said. “I don’t want to let anyone down in my first game. If I’m ready to play this week, I will. I’ve been training back in Australia and I’m rested up.”
Already without several first-team players, Shaun Wane has lost his captain, Sean O’Loughlin, to suspension, and he could be forced to throw Nu’uausala in at short notice on Friday. The coach said: “He arrived on Monday night, slept a few hours, but was up at 4am and he trained the day after – we’ll have to decide whether to risk him. I want him to play, especially as we’re struggling with no more fit bodies.”
Wigan and Leeds have established a fearsome rivalry in recent years – most notably at last year’s Grand Final, which Leeds won – yet despite them being at contrasting ends of the table this season, Wane has called on his squad to treat the game against the league’s bottom side with the intensity befitting a big game.
“The fact they’re in the bottom four gives them a freedom to play,” Wane said of the Rhinos, who already know they will be competing in the Qualifiers. “They’re starting to hit the form of last year and they are playing better than us at the minute. My message to the players this week is to treat this like a Grand Final: I need something special.”
Wane will also give the England duo Sam Tomkins and Josh Charnley until the last minute to prove their fitness for the game.
