Gold Coast Titans starlet Cooper Bai has hailed dad and Super League icon Marcus ahead of his international debut as he prepares to follow in his father’s footsteps by donning the colours of Papua New Guinea.
Now 52, dad Marcus was a free-scoring winger who shone on both sides of the globe during his playing career.
Representing the Gold Coast Charges as well as Melbourne Storm, who he won an NRL title with, in the Southern Hemisphere, Bai senior also enjoyed stints in Super League with Hull FC, Leeds Rhinos and Bradford Bulls.
The Ulamona native spent 2006 with the Bulls, with that the last year of his professional career, and also the same year son Cooper was born in Queensland.
With his 19th birthday still a month away, Cooper has already made his NRL debut for the Titans, and will now do so on the international stage.
Son of Super League icon pays emotional tribute to dad ahead of Papua New Guinea debut
A versatile forward, 18-year-old Cooper’s NRL debut came in Round 27 of the campaign Down Under against Wests Tigers.
His official PNG debut will come on October 25 in Port Moresby as Jason Demetriou’s side begin their Pacific Bowl campaign against the Cook Islands.
But before that, Bai – who sports an unmissable green skullcap during games – will feature in this weekend’s Prime Minister’s XIII clash, and he told the Australian Associated Press: “Dad has done so much for my career.
“Since I was a kid he brought me up the right way, to be a good person first.
“He taught me to take the steps to get me where I am today as a rugby league player.
“His best advice has been that hard work means everything and you are not going to achieve anything without it.”
Bai senior, whose time in Super League included a 2004 Grand Final victory with Leeds, represented the Kumuls in 13 Test matches and scored four tries in the process.
Teenager Cooper added: “I can’t wait to play for Papua New Guinea. Last year I injured my ankle so I wasn’t able to play.
“It would mean everything to play for my country. The whole of PNG has given me great support.
“When I made my NRL debut, they got right behind me.”
