'Seen what he can do': Tigers teenage star ready to hit top gear
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Wests Tigers co-captain Jarome Luai has declared teenage talent Heamasi Makasini will rapidly become a household name, if he isn't already, as the young gun launches his first full season in the NRL.
The 18-year-old was the breakout star of the Witzer Pre-Season Challenge, scoring a hat-trick in the win over the Roosters before becoming an instant highlight reel by running over the top of Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards on the way to the try line a week later.
Makasini will return to the scene of the viral moment on Saturday when the Tigers take on North Queensland at Leichhardt Oval. It will be the club's first game of the season after having the bye last week.
A little Luai footwork and a whole lot of Makasini madness
Luai is confident Edwards won't be the only player Makasini overpowers this year but said the challenge will be to consistently play at a high level during a long, physically and mentally taxing campaign.
"He's an awesome talent," Luai said. "I don't have to say that again and again, you guys have all seen what he can do.
"The challenge for him now is to be consistent. It's a long year, it's very physical and you've got to tackle big bodies all year. I'm just trying to give him some pointers and making sure the reps count out here [at training] throughout the week.
"If you do that, that will hold you in good stead on game day. It's a great message for all our young players in our team."
Match: Wests Tigers v Cowboys
Round 2 -
home Team
Wests Tigers
9th Position
away Team
Cowboys
13th Position
Venue: Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
The teenager starred on the wing in the pre-season but will start in the centres on Saturday after teammate Starford To'a was ruled out. Youngster Luke Laulilii will line up outside Makasini on the left edge.
Kai Pearce-Paul will also make his club debut after sitting out the pre-season with a calf complaint and Luai will combine with Adam Doueihi in the halves.
The Cowboys have a largely settled squad following their Round 1 trip to Las Vegas, with Tom Mikaele the only player unavailable following the loss to Newcastle.
The forward injured his knee and is set to miss two games. Kaiden Lahrs comes into the extended squad as his potential replacement for Saturday's clash with the Tigers.
In other Round 2 team news around the league:
- Representative star Liam Martin remains sidelined with a calf injury and will miss Saturday's clash with Cronulla.
- Tongan centre Rob Toia has been named for the Roosters and is set to line up in Friday's showdown with South Sydney after missing last week with a foot injury.
- Jayden Sullivan will start at halfback for the Rabbitohs after Ashton Ward suffered a syndesmosis injury that required surgical intervention against the Dolphins. Ward will be sidelined for up to eight weeks.
- Morgan Smithies replaces Josh Papalii at prop after the Raiders veteran was placed in the head knock protocol.
- Sandon Smith will start at five-eighth for the Knights, replacing Fletcher Sharpe who injured his knee in Newcastle's Las Vegas win over North Queensland.
- Harry Grant and Cooper Clarke have been named for Melbourne, however Alec MacDonald will miss Saturday's clash with St George Illawarra due to a concussion.
Makasini spent much of 2025 training with the Wests Tigers as club officials eased him into the NRL environment during his final year of school.
He impressed in his first taste of first grade, scoring a try and running for 166 metres to provide a glimpse of what's to come.
Heamasi Makasini Try
While they had to be patient last year, the Tigers are now reaping the rewards of Makasini's steady integration into the top flight.
The teenager's physical skills are clear, but teammates have been most impressed with his confidence, mental focus and willingness to speak up at training.
Prop Fonua Pole said Makasini returned to pre-season training a new man and expects the outside back to turn plenty of heads in 2026.
"He's shocked me this year," Pole said. "Seeing how he was last year, he was a quiet boy who just stayed in his shell. When he came back for pre-season, I saw he was a whole different person.
"The way he built his confidence in the pre-season, I wasn't shocked in the trials when he showed what he could do because we've seen him doing it at training all the time."
