St George Illawarra forward Jaydn Su’A has revealed the inspiration behind his powerful start to the NRL season.
The 26-year-old has been at the top of his game amid a resurgent Dragons side that has already won the same number of games as they did in the entire 2023 season.
Su’A acknowledged that despite his stellar club play, his desire to serve his country has been a major motivator for him to perform well as he pursues a Queensland State of Origin recall.
According to Su’A, “it’s been my biggest motivator,” NRL.com reported. “Last year, I suffered an injury, and in the aftermath, I made some commitments to myself.
“It was my biggest motivator, I’ll do whatever I can to put my name in the frame and then we’ll see what happens.”
In 2020, Su’A made his Origin debut for Queensland, playing in all three games as the Maroons upset their more favored NSW rivals. This team was notoriously dubbed the worst in Origin history.
But after losing badly in Game One of the 2021 series, 50–6, he hasn’t played for his state since.
This year, with a high Maroons injury toll, it appears probable that this will alter as Queensland icons Wally Lewis and Darren Lockyer, among others, demand for Su’A’s reinstatement.
Due to long-term injuries, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Tom Flegler will miss the series. Billy Slater is searching for diligent forwards to join his pack.
Su’A, who was limited to just 13 NRL appearances in 2024, has been in good health. He will get another opportunity to impress Maroons selectors when the Dragons take on the Bulldogs on Thursday night.
“My focus is on playing well each week,” he said. “Good form and winning games puts you in the mix for those teams.
“I want to get back to that arena, I’m not denying that. It’s in a couple of weeks so let’s see how I go.”
Su’A will enter Thursday’s game full of confidence after inking a two-year contract extension with the Dragons during the side’s bye last week.
With five victories in ten games, St George Illawarra is presently ranked ninth on the ladder.
Su’A hasn’t had an easy season this year; during the team’s round two loss to the Dolphins, the forward had a difficult evening.
Still, it was the catalyst for a swift comeback, with Su’A drawing inspiration from those feelings all season long.
He remarked, “I had a shocker in round two.” “I made the decision to never feel that way again.
“I trained hard and paid close attention to what I needed to focus on because I didn’t want to feel that way again. Our meetings can be quite confronting at times, but they are necessary, and we have excellent instructors here.”
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