NRL player Joe Ofahengaue is rumoured to have switched allegiance from Tonga to Australia after being charged with an alcohol-related incident.
Ofahengaue was reportedly involved in an alchol-related motor vehicle incident while returning from a party over the Australia Day weekend, and was praised for displaying true Aussie patriotism.
“There’s nothing more Aussie than getting drunk on Australia Day,” said a spokesman for the Kangaroos selectors.
“Sinking too much piss and making a fool of yourself, then having the story break on January 26 – that’s True Blue. We need this guy in our national team and we’re just finalising the paperwork.”
The incident also earned Ofahengaue a nomination for The Frownlow Medal.
The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off-field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern-day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes; the National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. NRL player Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015, while NRL player Ben Barba is the most recent recipient.
Aussies will be overjoyed at the news, after Tonga defeated the Kangaroos in a test match at the end of 2019. The young Broncos forward was a member of the Tongan forward pack which is possibly the best in the world.
The Queensland State of Origin representative first caught the attention of selectors in 2017, when he was caught cheating at a casino and paid a $400 fine. He also pleaded guilty to driving without a licence in 2019 and was fined $200.
Ofahengaue was last spotted in a Bintang singlet leaving a tattoo parlour with a new southern cross tattoo. He can now look forward to the beginning of the NRL season, and the end of year awards ceremony for The Frownlow Medal.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 