Nadolo’s FB lifeline
HULKING winger Nemani Nadolo was ready to call his illustrious career to an end. And then he checked his Facebook messages.
Nadolo had asked for his release from English Premiership champions Leicester to return home to Australia to deal with family-related matters.
Having spent almost half of a year without a club, the 35-year-old assumed there was no interest in his services. Until he checked social media to see a barrage of unread messages from Waratahs coach Darren Coleman.
“For five or six months, I didn’t have a club there so I was probably looking at retirement and by chance got into DC (Darren Coleman) by Facebook,” he explained.
“He got into me by messenger and said ‘what are you doing, we’re keen to have you’, it was a snowball effect and before you know it I was here in Waratah colours…sometimes when you get news like that, you don’t believe that is true.
“He then called my agent because I had notifications off on Facebook and I hadn’t replied for like three or four weeks. I went back on messenger and said ‘mate I’m so sorry’ and I saw all these messages like ‘have you given up on us, you don’t want to come?.’ A normal person would just get on WhatsApp or text but even up until I arrived it was on Facebook.
“I had to unmute it and put him up the top every time I got a message from him..the least I expected it was from Facebook.
“…If you had told me 12 months ago that I’d be back in Sydney playing for the Waratahs, I would’ve laughed it off and led towards retirement. It’s funny how life works and the rest is now history.”
Nadolo has played all around the world, having had stints in the NRC (Perth Spirit), Top 14 (Bourgoin/Montpellier), Japan (NEC Green Rockets) and England.
However, a dream debut for the Waratahs always alluded him ever since he was signed to the club in 2008.
Unable to breakthrough in a side that included Wallabies Lote Tuqiri and Lachlan Turner, Nadolo would eventually find his feet at the Crusaders, leading the tournament for tries in 2014 before falling to his old side in the Final.
Nine years on, Nadolo is pulling on the sky blue jersey, reflecting on his journey.
“It was a great moment for my career and something I’ve always wanted to do as a youngster growing up in Australia,” he admits.
“To finally get the cap here in Australia is something I’m particularly proud of. To have my crowd fly down from Brissie (Brisbane), that was really nice.
“I feel like a gypsy running around playing in all these different comps around the world. I’ve been blessed in that sense but not getting that opportunity as a young guy and to get it now some 13 years later, it’s better late than never.”