Pogboom
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CANTERBURY winger and the NRL’s equal-leading try-scorer – Curtis Rona – is on New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney’s radar for the Kiwis’ end-of-season tour of England.
Rona tells RLW that Kearney has encouraged him to keep going the way he’s going – which is pretty good considering he has scored 16 tries this season.
Parramatta winger Semi Radradra drew level with Rona in last weekend’s round, but the Eels have the bye this weekend so Rona has the chance to go back on top alone when the Bulldogs play Brisbane at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.
“It would be a massive achievement for me if I made the squad at the end of the year,” Rona says.
“The coach spoke to me and said I was in the mix. He has given me a little bit of encouragement, but I know it’s hard to make a squad like that.
“It would be a big honour to tour, but playing NRL every week and being consistent is my main goal at the moment. If I get selected for the tour it’s a big bonus.”
Rona is tall and solidly built, so he can match the bigger opposing wingers physically.
But he has also got that athletic ability to score the freakish, seemingly impossible tries the best wingers are becoming known for in the NRL.
“It’s good to be athletic and physical – in attack and defence,” he says.
“I’m lucky I’ve got a bit of height and size on me, but you’ve got to be smart too and know you’re surroundings out there. You have to find ways to score and I’m stoked that I’m getting a lot of game-time.”
Rona tells RLW that Kearney has encouraged him to keep going the way he’s going – which is pretty good considering he has scored 16 tries this season.
Parramatta winger Semi Radradra drew level with Rona in last weekend’s round, but the Eels have the bye this weekend so Rona has the chance to go back on top alone when the Bulldogs play Brisbane at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.
“It would be a massive achievement for me if I made the squad at the end of the year,” Rona says.
“The coach spoke to me and said I was in the mix. He has given me a little bit of encouragement, but I know it’s hard to make a squad like that.
“It would be a big honour to tour, but playing NRL every week and being consistent is my main goal at the moment. If I get selected for the tour it’s a big bonus.”
Rona is tall and solidly built, so he can match the bigger opposing wingers physically.
But he has also got that athletic ability to score the freakish, seemingly impossible tries the best wingers are becoming known for in the NRL.
“It’s good to be athletic and physical – in attack and defence,” he says.
“I’m lucky I’ve got a bit of height and size on me, but you’ve got to be smart too and know you’re surroundings out there. You have to find ways to score and I’m stoked that I’m getting a lot of game-time.”
