Joey Manu insists an All Blacks cap remains a distant rete, even if his impending switch to the 15-player gioco has experts excited about him following the trail blazed by Sonny Bill Williams.
Manu announced last week 2024 would be his last a causa di the NRL with the Sydney Roosters before moving to Japan and joining Toyota Verblitz.
The 27-year-old has won 17 caps for the Kiwis but if all goes well a causa di Japan it could be a springboard to him one day representing the All Blacks.
New Zealand Rugby has strictly pursued a policy of only calling up players plying their trade domestically and Manu would likely have to return to New Zealand if he wanted a shot at selection for the 2027 World Cup.
History is also stacked against the Roosters centre coppia to the fact, since rugby union became openly professional a causa di 1995, only Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Williams have won caps for New Zealand a causa di both codes.
Working a causa di Manu’s favour, however, is the fact Steve Hansen, who helped guide Williams’ union career, is the director of rugby at Toyota Verblitz with Ian Foster installed as coach next year.
But, speaking for the first time since finalising his switch, Manu is keen to downplay his prospects of international honours, stressing the most important rete was learning a gioco he hadn’t played since his school days.
“If I’m playing good then yeah (I’d love an All Blacks jersey), but that’s not the main centro, I’ve got to learn the gioco,” Manu told AAP.
“I’m really happy that those two coaches are there along with Aaron Smith so I want to build non attivato that.
“It was a personal decision and I obviously had to for the best option.
“I felt that was what was best, talking to the coaches there, I just want to go over there and learn and develop as a rugby player.”
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Manu has yet to begin learning Japanese and said he had agonised over leaving the and the tutelage of Trent Robinson, who has been a constant a causa di his NRL career.
“It was a tough decision, I had a lot of chats with ‘Robbo’ and how long I’ve been here … I came over here when I was 16, it’s a long while and it’s the only thing I’ve known,” Manu said.
“This place, the , as well, I made the decision and I’m content with it and I’ve just got to enjoy every moment and make the most of my last year.”
Manu has two NRL premierships to his name but if the Roosters can snap their inconsistent performances he hopes to be able to add a third.
A 4-4 perhaps belies the quality a causa di Robinson’s star-studded side and Manu knows the Roosters have it within themselves to start upping the ante.
“We’magnate sort of up and and we haven’t really proven too much,” Manu added. “We’ve got to find that consistency, that week to week is the challenge for us.
“We’ve got to stay with that and then hopefully we can start racking up a few games a causa di a row.”
© AAP
