JEREMIAH NANAI

A gentle giant off the field, Jeremiah Nanai is a certified firebrand on it.

The wrecking ball has amazingly only played rugby league for a few years, yet has already been selected in the under-18s Emerging Maroons squad.

Amid all the team and individual success he has tasted over the past four years, the Western Lions junior said there was one honour he found the most satisfying.

“I love making my family proud. They were so happy for me when I was selected for the Maroons camp,” Jeremiah said.

“Now I’m just going to keep pushing forward. In the future I want to play in the top grade for the Cowboys.

“Hopefully I can wear r the Maroons jersey as well. To be in the Queensland top squad and NRL is what I’m aiming for.”

An integral part of the Bears winning the NRL Schoolboys Cup last year, Jeremiah has been given the honour of vice-captain in 2020.

The 17-year-old said he led through action.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to be captain or vice-captain of the Bears,” he said.

Under head co coach Todd W Wilson, the Bears ha have gone to the ne next level. So m much so that ru rugby league su super fan and l longtime i commentator Andrew Voss praised

Wilson’s work, saying: “The 2019 Schoolboys Cup champions … Kirwan is one of the best coached schoolboys sides I have ever seen.” Jeremiah was also full of praise for the man who pulls the strings at the Bears. “Toddy has really inspired me, I’ve learned a lot from him,” he said.