ETO Nabuli, the Fijian hotel porter spotted by Brad Fittler and turned into an NRL star at St George Illawarra, has defected to rugby and signed with the Queensland Reds.

The 105kg winger will join Karmichael Hunt as the second Reds backline star with NRL experience next year.

Nabuli was told recently by Dragons coach Paul McGregor that he was not required by the club in 2016, and entered into discussions with both the Reds and Western Force.

The 26-year-old has agreed to the Queensland move, and the Reds will formalise the announcement in coming days.

PODCAST: JAMIE PANDARAM AND IAIN PAYTEN PREVIEW THE BLEDISLOE CUP

Those in league circles with a keen eye for raw talent believe the Dragons will come to rue Nabuli’s loss.

While he has struggled to hold down a first grade spot and has had issues in defence, his attacking potency is obvious and should he fulfil his potential Nabuli could become a Super Rugby sensation.

Fiji still has an eye on Naiyaravoro for World Cup

media_camera Wallaby Taqele Naiyaravoro.

FIJI haven’t given up on Taqele Naiyaravoro switching​ back​ from ​​Wallabies colours to the famous white of his homeland - potentially in time for the World Cup.

Naiyaravoro was selected by both Fiji and Australia for pre-World Cup squads and the 120kg NSW chose the Wallabies. But he hasn’t got a run, and after missing the cut for Michael Cheika’s Bledisloe Cup squad, Naiyaravoro will play for the World XV in Japan on August 15.​ He is ​effectively out of the picture for Wallabies’ World Cup selection, or Test rugby​ at all in the next few years given he is moving to Glasgow in coming months.

Contacted about whether he was still interested in Naiyaravoro for the World Cup, Fiji coach John McKee told us this week from Canada, where his side won the Pacific Nations Cup: “Taqele is still a player of interest to FRU as we know what a quality player he is. As he did not tour to PNC it will be difficult for him to make the RWC squad. We have some very good wingers & they have been in good form in this tournament. If we had an injury he would be right back in the frame.

“It would be a pity if a the player played 1 test for Australia & as he will continue his career overseas be unable to play International Rugby under AUS current policy. We would like to see him pursuing a pro career in Europe & playing International Rugby for Fiji.”

​The Wallabies wouldn’t be all that keen to have to face a backline with Naiyaravoro and Nemani Nadolo on the wings at the World Cup but it seems like they won’t need to contemplate running interference.​

Naiyaravoro’s manager didn’t return calls or texts but it is understood the big winger is still keen on playing for the Wallabies, potentially after returning to Australia following one season in Scotland.

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THIS from the New Zealand Herald yesterday on Michael Cheika: “To heck with the statesmanlike poses of some rugby coaches. The new Wallaby boss is a streetwise scrapper, a bloke crying out for the description “love to hate”. He’s like Quade Cooper with a clipboard. Okay, maybe that’s a bit harsh but there’s a hint of skulduggery in the air when Cheika is about.”

The NZ Herald is based in Auckland. The Wallabies visit Auckland next week.

There is a golf shop in Auckland. You do the maths.

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IT wasn’t only Australian fans who were shocked by Wycliff Palu’s omission from the Wallabies squad to play on Saturday night.

All Blacks enforcer Jerome Kaino said he expected to be facing the bullocking backrower in the Rugby Championship decider.

“Yeah I really rate Cliffy, and I thought being here in Sydney on his home pitch that they’d give him a run,” Kaino said.

Instead of running out in front 75,000 screaming fans at ANZ Stadium, Palu will turn out for Manly Marlins in the Shute Shield semi-final earlier Saturday afternoon.

Palu will face Waratahs teammates Dave Dennis, Tolu Latu, Jeremy Tilse and Paddy Ryan, as well as former teammates Tom Kingston and Tom Carter, who will all be part of a strong Uni outfit at Manly Oval.

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DO yourself a favour and get out to ANZ Stadium early on Saturday night. The Australian men’s and women’s sevens teams will both be playing friendly matches against Japan as curtain-raisers to the Bledisloe Cup matches.

The match is one of several for the Aussie men’s team as they gearing up for their Oceania Olympic qualifying series in November.

They’ll also take on New Zealand in a six-match series in Rotorua next month. The friendly clashes will occur over three days from September 12-14 and will be designed to mimic the Olympic format, with the halves lasting 10 minutes instead of seven.

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A CHILD born when the Wallabies last held the Bledisloe Cup will start high school next year.

Want to wallow a bit more? When Australia last held the Bledisloe Cup the following things didn’t yet exist: Facebook, YouTube, Gmail, Twitter, “Selfies” and a decent England cricket team.

Winning tips for hungry players

media_camera Wallabies Drew Mitchell and Dean Mumm meet My Kitchen Rules winners Sammy & Bella at Coogee.

FOR the past few years Dean Mumm and Drew Mitchell have been suffering on a diet of black pudding and frogs legs.

But after returning from England and France respectively to reactivate their Wallaby careers, the veteran duo are savouring the superior Aussie cuisine back home.

Yesterday they got some timely cooking tips from Sammy and Bella Jakubiak, the former winners of My Kitchen Rules, who popped into the Wallabies Crowne Plaza Coogee team hotel to talk food.

Like Mumm and Mitchell, the 2011 MKR champs will doing their thing at Homebush this weekend as part of the Sydney Good Food & Wine Show is at Sydney Showgrounds, which starts today.

Mitchell, a huge cooking show fan, is keen to sneak out before the Bledisloe Cup for a feed.

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FOXSPORTS is organising an attempt to break the record for the world’s largest scrum this weekend before the Bledisloe Cup, but even if they manage to beat the current mark of 1008 people the record might only stand for six weeks.

Queensland Rugby is organising their own “World’s biggest scrum” attempt on September 20 and have signed up Home and Away legend Ray Meagher, better known as Alf, as one team leader to take on a rival team led by Olympic swimming star Giaan Rooney.

The current record is held by the 1008 keen rugger fans who turned out at Twickenham earlier this year.

Saturday’s attempt at Sydney Olympic Park starts at 4pm at Fig Grove (corner of Dawn Fraser Avenue and Olympic Boulevard).