Mark Nawaqanitawase. Fun to say. More fun to watch.

The funnest part of all? Diving deep into exactly why and how the Roosters code-crossing extraordinaire fascinates us so.

How and why is he so damn good? What exactly is it about this rare footballing beast and his schooling in the 15-man game that has led to a slew of gobsmacking, Harlem Globetrotting highlight plays in the rival code?

And while we’re here, what comes next? The Roosters will have to outlay at least a market value of around $700,000 to keep the NRL’s man of the moment. Though just quietly, that could well be more than what’s on the table from Rugby Australia to bring him back for the 2027 World Cup.

If Nawaqanitawase chooses to chase seven-figure deals in lucrative French or Japanese rugby markets, the Roosters’ offer will be dwarfed.

The other numbers worth noting? The 23 tries in 22 games this season that have matched the 23 he scored in four years with the Waratahs. The 103 tackle busts, 37 offloads, and yes, 45 errors that come as part of a package deal.

Roosters code-hopper Mark Nawaqanitawase.Credit: Monique Westermann

And of course, the seven syllables NRL commentators have wrestled with for six months. Not to mention the 75 million social media views around the globe of that hopping, skipping, show-stopping try against Canterbury in May.

“It’s probably allowed him to play to his athleticism,” John Manenti - the former Australia sevens rugby coach who first clocked Nawaqanitawase’s talents - says of rugby league putting them on full show.

Few have backed the now 25-year-old as often, from first calling the Waratahs when Nawaqanitwase was a schoolboy being brushed for rep teams, to Manenti’s calculated gambles to draft him into Commonwealth Games and Olympics campaigns.

Manenti sees the structure of rugby league - more regular positioning for crossfield kicks or sweeping plays destined for a winger to finish each set - suiting Nawaqanitawase’s thoroughly unstructured approach down to the ground, even if he often leaves it.

“Obviously, with his aerial prowess, it is very easy to script and manufacture,” Manenti says.

“He’s always been an amazing offloader. When I first had him in sevens and picked him for the Commonwealth Games, I remember having to tell him, ‘mate, you just........

© The Sydney Morning Herald