+34
Fiona Tovehi, mother of Roosters star Mark Nawaqanitawase, reveals her initial opposition to his NRL move and the touching funeral gesture that changed everything before the grand final.
Mark Nawaqanitawase is preparing for an NRL grand final with the Sydney Roosters. His mother, Fiona Tovehi, has revealed she initially opposed his move to rugby league.
After two weeks of giving her son the cold shoulder, she now says league is made for him. Before his NRL grand final, Nawaqanitawase will leave for a two-season sojourn in Japanese rugby. A likely tilt with the Wallabies at next year's Rugby World Cup also awaits. The 26-year-old still lives at home and hauls a bulging Roosters bag into the laundry after training each day.
He is not domesticated at all, Tovehi says. Cooking a steak is a start. Putting clothes in the washing machine remains a work in progress. Making the bed can apparently present challenges.
The kid has got it pretty good, she adds, joking he will get a rude shock in Japan. Nawaqanitawase says he is feeling chill ahead of Sunday's clash against Newcastle. His sporting CV is already ridiculous: a Super Rugby debut in 2020, a Commonwealth Games berth in rugby sevens in Birmingham in 2022, and a Wallabies debut against Italy in Florence later that year.
He played at the Rugby World Cup in France in 2023 and made his maiden Olympics in Paris in 2024. He was also part of a State of Origin series win in 2026. His ability to make the difficult look absurdly simple has made him one of Australia's most exciting footballers. There was always a ball in his hands: rugby, soccer, basketball.
Getting him inside for bath time became a nightly battle. His mother repeatedly told him he was not allowed to play league. He did briefly, turning out for Concord-Burwood Wolves and Leichhardt Wanderers, before switching to rugby union in high school. A 14-year-old Nawaqanitawase supported Adam Doueihi while playing for St Patrick's College Strathfield's first XV in 2016.
Mother Opposed Rugby League Move
Even when the Roosters came calling in 2024, offering him the chance to walk away from the Waratahs and Wallabies, Tovehi gave her son the cold shoulder for two weeks. It has become one of rugby league's more spectacular backflips. I was so against it, she says. I tormented him.
I kept saying to him, No, you're not going, too dangerous. You're going to make a fool of yourself. She calls it a dream and a fairytale, saying she would never have dreamed he would be in an NRL grand final. League is made for my son, she says.
I actually thanked Trent Robinson last week, Tovehi says. When he came to league, he could not tackle; his defence was quite weak. But they have developed him to be an amazing athlete. She says she never imagined the transformation.
But there was a moment, during a shocking time for the family, when Tovehi realised her son had made the right decision. As Nawaqanitawase prepared to transition to rugby league following his Olympic campaign in Paris, his stepfather, Aisake, died after a battle with cancer. It was very hard for Mark, Tovehi says. My husband was always there for him and mentoring him.
Roosters Show Support At Funeral
Rugby league was an unknown journey that we were both embarking on without him. Then, at Aisake's funeral, two unexpected faces appeared. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, the fearsome Roosters enforcer, arrived unannounced in a suit. Club great and board member Luke Ricketson was there too.
They had known Nawaqanitawase for a matter of days. The gesture stunned the family. John Georges, a close family friend and the father of one of Nawaqanitawase's best mates, remembers Tovehi beginning to shake and cry when she saw Waerea-Hargreaves. Jared grabbed Fiona and said, I know you are worried, but I will personally look after your son, Georges recalls.
The Roosters sent flowers to their house. Fiona was just bewildered. What ultimate respect to attend that funeral. I could not ask for more than that, says Tovehi of Waerea-Hargreaves's gesture.
That day was a bit of a blur. Every time I see Jared, he always asks me how I am going. He is a gentle giant. She says she has done this whole league journey without her husband.
As sad as it has been, and so hard, it has distracted me 100 per cent, Tovehi says. I always say to Mark, he is watching from above and he is so proud. The whole world would know that his boy was playing in an NRL grand final. We have never looked back.
It is a beautiful club. The affection runs both ways. She is a beautiful person, Roosters supremo Nick Politis says via text message from Tokyo, before flying back to Sydney for the grand final. Nawaqanitawase has been bombarded with media requests this week.
Ask him how he plucks a football out of the sky, produces an outrageous offload or sees something on a field that others do not, and there is rarely a grand explanation. Talking about himself is not his forte. He thinks about how to clone his own upbringing. I actually think about this all the time.
How can I get my kid to be like me, Nawaqanitawase says. Upbringing is a big thing and what you were exposed to as a kid. We all lived in the same street and just played so many sports every day. They just said go outside and play.
Humble Upbringing Shaped His Career
Mum definitely encouraged it. I was very fortunate that I had a loving family. The making of Mark Nawaqanitawase was hardly sophisticated. There were no specialist coaches, no carefully curated development programs, no childhood spent being shuttled between representative squads.
There was a backyard in Burwood and a seemingly endless supply of balls. A revolving door of brothers, stepbrothers, cousins and neighbours kept the games going. There was an auntie across the road who probably would have appreciated a sleep-in. It would drive her insane because in the morning she could hear Mark kicking the ball against the fence or bouncing a basketball, Tovehi says.
To tell you the truth, I do not know how he does it, she says. From when he was little, he played everything. He was just forever with a ball. He is a very determined person and believes in himself.
He knows he can do things. He just watches what happens on the field and then, bang, he is off. He is a freak. He has shocked me what he has done.
For every kid who did not make rep teams growing up, Nawaqanitawase's path is worth remembering. For all his freakish exploits, it was not until after school that he really started getting noticed. Now he stands one game away from an NRL premiership.
smh 
brisbanetimes:Nawaqanitawase’s mum didn’t want him to play in the NRL. A touching gesture changed everythingThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Fiona Tovehi Sydney Roosters NRL Grand Final Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Roosters face Knights in 2026 NRL Grand Final as Ponga and Nawaqanitawase loom as gamebreakersThe Sydney Roosters hunt a 16th premiership against a Newcastle Knights side riding three straight finals upsets. Kalyn Ponga and Mark Nawaqanitawase are the key threats at Accor Stadium.
Read more »
Nawaqanitawase and Crichton Set to Return to Rugby Before 2027 World CupDual international players Nawaqanitawase and Crichton are preparing to switch back to rugby union after their NRL stints in advance of the 2027 World Cup in Australia. Crichton has signed with the Waratahs and may join the Australia A squad for a US tour, while Nawaqanitawase is joining the Panasonic Saitama Wild Knights. Wallabies selector Kiss noted that while the players have received significant praise in league, selection remains uncertain and all athletes must earn their spots.
Read more »
Chad Lowe's Daughter Fiona Dies at Age 13Chad Lowe and his partner Painter announced the tragic death of their 13-year-old daughter Fiona. The couple described her as a smart, creative, and loving girl who adored dancing. While no official cause was confirmed, speculation about self-harm prompted the parents to encourage mental health support. Tributes poured in from friends and family, including David Boreanaz and Chad Lowe's father.
Read more »