‘Best I’ve noticed’: Maroons prodigy used to be on pathway to Wallabies at rugby powerhouse prior to Roosters pounced

Billy Slater has complete religion in “world-class” debutant Queensland centre Robert Toia, and his legacy at rugby union powerhouse Nudgee College has without a doubt left an indelible mark.

“I’ve been here 11 years and he’s the best I’ve seen,” Nudgee director of rugby Sean Graham informed AAP of the previous First XV outdoor centre.

The Sydney Roosters 20-year-old will play for the Maroons within the State of Origin sequence opener after simply 10 NRL video games the place his right-foot step, energy, steadiness and pace had been electrical.

Slater had no hesitation throwing Toia into the Origin cauldron in his most well-liked centre place reasonably than at the wing.

“Although playing on the centres is man-on-man out there, it is a system. He is a great system player and has some good strengths (NSW) need to defend as well,” Slater stated. 

“Hopefully he is going to get some ball in some good situations and be pretty dangerous himself. I think he is a world-class centre.”

Toia is more likely to must mark Latrell Mitchell on debut.

“I’ve looked up to him,” Toia stated. “He’s an unbelievable player … very strong and he’s got it all, but I’m ready to do my job.”

Toia performed rugby union for Nudgee and rugby league for the Redcliffe Dolphins as a early life. His YouTube clips are paying homage to a tender Mal Meninga in his pomp, shrugging defenders off at will.

“Robert just had an unbelievable step and fend. He wasn’t worried about the defender in front of him,” Graham stated.

“He could move the ball in and out of either hand and was light on his feet.

“Then as he progressed through the grades at Nudgee this unbelievable body developed. He looked at a squat rack and got big. It was ridiculous … an absolute specimen and super-athletic.”

He used to be additionally a  budding basketball gun, who Graham stated had “a vertical leap where he could nearly dunk from the free-throw line”.

Toia has rebounded from two season-ending ACL ruptures and a again harm that stored him out for seven months in class.

Through it the entire Roosters, who signed him as a 14-year-old, caught cast when Toia questioned whether or not he would ever make it.

“I’d be lying if I was saying there wasn’t any doubt, but my family and the club never lost any of their support, which was through the roof,” he stated. 

“I can’t thank them enough for their loyalty.”

It used to be why Toia caught cast and re-signed with the Roosters in Year 12 when his junior membership the Dolphins got here knocking.

Toia idolised Maroons nice Greg Inglis for his “dominance” of Origin, a legacy the younger guy hopes to emulate. That he’s about to do it so quickly blew him away.

“It doesn’t feel real,” he stated of the Origin media consideration.

Toia is solely thankful for the good get started Nudgee College gave him, despite the fact that he selected a certified profession in league.

“I feel like they moulded me as a person and taught me core beliefs and values. I am definitely the man I am today because of them,” he stated.

“Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to be an NRL player.”

© AAP