Noa Nadruku
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 174 cm (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 98 kg (216 lb; 15 st 6 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Wing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: RLP | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Noa Nadruku (born September 19, 1967) is a Fijian former rugby footballer of the 1980s and 90s. After representing Fiji in rugby union he played rugby league in Australia for the Canberra Raiders (92 games between 1993 and 1997) and was named as one of the best 25 players for the Raiders' 25-year anniversary. His usual position was winger and in 1993 and 1996 he was the top try-scorer in the premiership.
Nadruku first played international rugby union for Fiji in 1989 and played a total of five games for that country between then and 1991. In 1993, while playing in the Sevens tournament, he was spotted by Canberra coach Tim Sheens and invited to train with the Canberra Raiders of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership. He had a slow start, but against Cronulla in the fifth round Nadruku became a sensation with his compact build providing tremendous speed and power, and scored two tries, setting up several others. Against Manly Nadruku created even more of an impression with strong defence to complement his powerful running. By the end of the year Nadruku had scored 22 tries in just twenty games - being the first player to score more than one try per game in a full season since Larry Corowa fifteen years before.
A serious injury kept Nadruku off the field for the first half of 1994 but by the finals he was back at his best. Though he was criticised for dropping key bombs in the earlier finals, Nadruku was one of Canberra's best in their big win over Canterbury-Bankstown in the grand final, scoring a try, making several powerful runs, and involving himself throughout.
After an ordinary season by his own high standards in 1995, Nadruku played for Fiji in the 1995 World Cup. He helped Laurie Daley hold the Raiders together in a 1996 season decimated by injuries to Ricky Stuart and Bradley Clyde and suspensions to Kiwi props John Lomax and Quentin Pongia.
A dispute over an off-field incident in which Nadruku was charged with assaulting two women (but acquitted in controversial circumstances on the basis of a lack of intention given the level of his intoxication) led to his sacking from the Raiders at the end of 1997. Nadruku finished his career with the North Queensland Cowboys under his old coach Tim Sheens, often playing centre (where he had played most of his rugby union) but retaining his trademark power and pace.
Sources
- Noa Nadruku at fijirugbyunion.com
- Noa Nadruku at yesterdayshero.com.au
- Noa Nadruku at stats.rleague.com
- raiders.com.au player listing
- Noa Nadruku stats at rugbyleagueproject.com
[Category:Fiji national rugby league team players]]