Sydney Roosters star Mark Nawaqanitawase will play his last NRL game on Sunday night as he chases a premiership, but one question lingers: will he return to rugby league?
After signing a two-year deal to play rugby union in Japan, one of the most-asked questions about the star winger is his NRL future.
The 25-year-old is genuinely must-see TV and has put together a strong two-year resume that fans see 10-to-15-year NRL career players chase until they can't anymore.
Two seasons with the Roosters, playing in the finals in both, playing for Australia in the Ashes series against England, playing for NSW Blues in the State of Origin, attaching himself to a series-winning side this season, and potentially an NRL premiership for the Roosters, which would be their first since the back-to-back in 2018 and 2019.
He also won the 2025 Try of the Year after scoring a 'freakish try' against the Bulldogs that was heard around the world, with millions of views across social media platforms.
Nicknamed 'Marky Mark', like actor Mark Wahlberg, because of the difficulty of pronouncing the dual-code star's surname, new details have surfaced that he could make his return to the NRL in the future.
Nawaqanitawase's management met with Roosters chairman Nick Politis last Friday night in Brisbane about a potential return to the club when his rugby contract finishes at the end of the 2028 season, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Over the last six weeks, the winger has strongly considered returning to rugby league, which could be on the cards when he finishes with the Saitama Wild Knights in Japan.
Mark's mum, Fiona, spoke to SMH about how her son has looked at the club and how she wishes he were staying at the Roosters.
"The way that the Roosters have looked after Mark and included me and obviously all the other parents is something that I can't praise highly enough," she stated.
"I didn't want him coming to rugby league because I viewed it as such a rough game, but now I genuinely don't want him to go.
"It's all Mark's decision in the long run, but he knows how much I've fallen in love with the club that he's at and the people who are there, and I wish he was staying."
When Mark was a free agent, Politis was willing to 'move heaven and earth' to keep him at the Roosters as the highest-paid winger.
That would be around $800,000-$1 million, and his rugby union salary in Japan is around $1.4 million in 2027 and 2028.
Nawaqanitawase has become arguably the most skilled winger in present-day rugby league, best known for showcasing his impressive ability to offload, particularly in difficult situations, and keep possession alive for his side with minimal space.
He will play against the Newcastle Knights in the NRL Grand Final on Sunday night, where his last moments in the code, maybe for now, could be holding up the premiership trophy.
