Whyte Hot: Naufahu on JWH, Hairstyles, Eli Katoa, and Plans to Be the Game’s Top Prop
Payne Haas is widely seen as the best front-rower in the game. The player expected to succeed him at the top of the props will face him this Sunday.
Naufahu Whyte's Journey with the Roosters
Roosters and New Zealand enforcer Naufahu Whyte has lost track of how many times he has been compared to Jared Waerea-Hargreaves. He vividly recalls the first time they met.
At the end of 2020, during the ongoing COVID pandemic, Whyte, aged just 18, arrived from New Zealand on a train-and-trial contract with the Roosters. One day, while observing the NRL team training, Roosters coach Trent Robinson singled him out to join a drill.
“I remember feeling honoured and starstruck when looking around and seeing the likes of Jared, Isaac Liu and Sio Siua Taukeiaho,” Whyte said. “I then took my first carry and got absolutely pumped. I didn’t know who had hit me at the time, but I got smoked. To my surprise, I looked up and it was Jared. He just stood over me, gave me that look, and didn’t say a word. I was like, ‘did that bro just hit me?’ He hit me so hard. I’m pretty certain it was shoulder to mouth.”
He continued, “I had trained in my own age group and always knew what was coming, but at that very moment, I knew I was with the big dogs. None of the boys came and helped me get up. Then we were doing recovery and Jared came up, shook my hand, and said, ‘nice to meet you, bro’.”
Coming Up Against the Best
Whyte's experience with Waerea-Hargreaves was a defining moment, marking his transition into the professional level, where toughness and respect go hand in hand.
This Sunday’s match will see Whyte competing directly against Payne Haas, providing him the chance to prove he can be the next elite prop in the game.
Author’s Summary
Naufahu Whyte’s firsthand encounter with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves shaped his ambition to become the premier prop, underscoring his journey from novice to top contender.