All Star torn by shared allegiances
In the space of two weeks he will enter camps as a Queensland Origin hopeful and an All Star representative of Papua New Guinea and for the meantime Nene Macdonald is happy to soak up the best that both worlds have to offer.
Macdonald is the sole Titans representative in the World All Stars team to be coached by Wayne Bennett and who will face the Indigenous All Stars in Brisbane on February 13. On Tuesday he was also named by Maroons coach Kevin Walters in the Queensland Emerging Origin squad to attend a three-day camp at the end of the month.
Since 2013 Macdonald has represented the Kumuls in four Tests and twice played for the Queensland under-20s but as he played for PNG in the Pacific Test against Fiji last year his current allegiance lies with the Kumuls.
Macdonald himself was under the impression that following a discussion with then Queensland coach Mal Meninga after the PNG Test that he had in fact aligned himself with Queensland and Australia but only selection for the Maroons would force his hand.
If Walters and the Queensland Rugby League selectors don't come calling until after the 2017 Rugby League World Cup Macdonald will be free to represent his nation of birth who will serve as one of the co-hosts of the tournament along with Australia and New Zealand.
Born in Port Moresby before moving to Cairns at a young age, Macdonald has played against the Prime Minister's XIII on home soil in recent years and said the chance to play a World Cup game in PNG would be an extraordinary experience.
"That would be crazy. It would be more crazy for the fans there, they'll be going off," Macdonald told NRL.com.
"It's another level when you play footy there. It's hard to explain until you experience it in person and not just see it on TV.
"If you ask the Aussie boys that have played in representative teams there they say it is a whole different experience, seeing what it is like and how much they love their footy there.
"It's good experience going back and playing for them because all the people there love their footy.
"I've got a lot of family back in PNG so it's good going back and seeing them and they get to see me play. They never really come over to Australia so they don't really get to watch me play live.
"I'm always proud to put that jersey on."
But the pride he has playing for PNG is replicated with his love for Queensland and the dream of one day playing State of Origin for the state where he played all his junior football.
Now 21 years of age the towering centre says that if and when the time comes where he has to choose Queensland over PNG that the lure of playing Origin will prove too strong to ignore.
"I love Queensland, especially growing up in Cairns. They all love Origin there and I used to watch every game growing up," he said.
"Putting that [Queensland] 20s jersey on was a great feeling too, getting picked in that and I guess every Queenslander dreams of one day playing for the Origin team.
"Mal rang me up and said it was whatever I reckoned was best for me and what I want to achieve; if I wanted to take the next step after PNG and take it to another level of footy with the Queensland team.
"There was no doubt in my mind that I always wanted to play for Queensland."
source: nrl.com
Macdonald is the sole Titans representative in the World All Stars team to be coached by Wayne Bennett and who will face the Indigenous All Stars in Brisbane on February 13. On Tuesday he was also named by Maroons coach Kevin Walters in the Queensland Emerging Origin squad to attend a three-day camp at the end of the month.
Since 2013 Macdonald has represented the Kumuls in four Tests and twice played for the Queensland under-20s but as he played for PNG in the Pacific Test against Fiji last year his current allegiance lies with the Kumuls.
Macdonald himself was under the impression that following a discussion with then Queensland coach Mal Meninga after the PNG Test that he had in fact aligned himself with Queensland and Australia but only selection for the Maroons would force his hand.
Born in Port Moresby before moving to Cairns at a young age, Macdonald has played against the Prime Minister's XIII on home soil in recent years and said the chance to play a World Cup game in PNG would be an extraordinary experience.
"That would be crazy. It would be more crazy for the fans there, they'll be going off," Macdonald told NRL.com.
"It's another level when you play footy there. It's hard to explain until you experience it in person and not just see it on TV.
"If you ask the Aussie boys that have played in representative teams there they say it is a whole different experience, seeing what it is like and how much they love their footy there.
"It's good experience going back and playing for them because all the people there love their footy.
"I've got a lot of family back in PNG so it's good going back and seeing them and they get to see me play. They never really come over to Australia so they don't really get to watch me play live.
"I'm always proud to put that jersey on."
But the pride he has playing for PNG is replicated with his love for Queensland and the dream of one day playing State of Origin for the state where he played all his junior football.
Now 21 years of age the towering centre says that if and when the time comes where he has to choose Queensland over PNG that the lure of playing Origin will prove too strong to ignore.
"I love Queensland, especially growing up in Cairns. They all love Origin there and I used to watch every game growing up," he said.
"Putting that [Queensland] 20s jersey on was a great feeling too, getting picked in that and I guess every Queenslander dreams of one day playing for the Origin team.
"Mal rang me up and said it was whatever I reckoned was best for me and what I want to achieve; if I wanted to take the next step after PNG and take it to another level of footy with the Queensland team.
"There was no doubt in my mind that I always wanted to play for Queensland."
source: nrl.com
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