From porter to a Panther, Etonia Nabuli has just signed a contract with NRL Club Penrith Panthers.
An Intercontinental Hotel employee only a fortnight ago, Nabuli is the anonymous Pacific Islander signed, sight unseen, to an NRL contract after literally bumping into rugby league legends Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns while at work.
Arriving in Sydney on Friday, the 23-year-old will live with Fittler and his family at Rushcutters Bay before finding more suitable accommodation closer to his new club, the Penrith Panthers, in coming months.
His arrival marks the first stage of a bold project, orchestrated by Fittler and Johns, to save Fijian rugby league after a series of administrative dramas have seriously impacted the game’s wellbeing and growth locally
