There are not many players in world rugby that can match Nene Macdonald’s ability.
An intelligent rugby brain combined with some freakish athletic ability, the Papua New Guinea international has made a devastating impact on the field in 2024.
Signing a four-year deal with the Reds in early October, Macdonald came into pre-season fresh from Pacific Bowl success with the Kumuls against a strong Fiji side.
His bubbly character settled into the squad straight away and it was quickly evident he and Tim Lafai could strike up a deadly centre partnership.
After making a fiery debut against Leeds Rhinos, it was Round 2 where Macdonald really gave a sneak peak into what his can bring to Salford’s team during the season.
On the last play, Marc Sneyd sent a towering kick towards Castleford’s Luke Hooley that looked like a routine catch for the fullback.
Out of nowhere, Macdonald came flying through the air to climb over the helpless Tigers defender and touch down a remarkable try, at a crucial point in the game.
It was from that point on where the 30-year-old really started to click into gear, scoring his next try in our historic comeback victory against St Helens at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
On his flying starting to life at the Red Devils, Macdonald reiterated to us how the ‘brotherhood’ like bond he had with the group was allowing him to play his best rugby.
Despite eventual defeat in Round 7, Macdonald came up with a magic moment yet again with a 70 metre break down the right wing to fire us into an early second-half lead.
He backed that up with a try of similar ilk at the John Smith’s Stadium, where he intercepted Jake Connor’s cut-out ball to race 80 metres towards the jubilant Salford faithful.
It was a game that Macdonald dominated, racking 285 metres and scoring a second from close range just after the break to confirm a Player of the Match performance.
After home success earlier in the campaign, the centre played a key role in completing the double over Warrington Wolves in mid-June.
Latching onto a neat offload by Sam Stone, he used all his athleticism to ride a few desperate challenges and crash under the sticks for the games opening try.
Close to the line, there was no one better in 2024 and his ability to carry defenders almost on his back to finish tries was a potent weapon for Paul Rowley.
Take his try against Castleford for example, where his shirt was physically ripped off his back to try and stop him from powering over.
There was no shock inside the Salford Community Stadium when it didn’t, however.
Macdonald finished 2024 strong and played a pivotal role in our playoff qualification, taking his total try tally to 12.
His exceptional performances merited a spot in the Betfred Super League Dream Team at centre and he also picked up the Club’s Supporters’ Player of the Year at our annual awards ceremony.
It was a debut season to remember for the PNG star, who quickly became a firm fan favourite and he will no doubt be raring to go again in 2025.
NENE’S 2024 IN NUMBERS
Appearances: 25
Tries: 12
Try Assists: 3
Line breaks: 14
Metres made: 4756
Tackle breaks: 135
Offloads: 48
ROWLEY ON NENE
“I think he will get better as well, I think there’s more to come from Nene.
“I think there’s certain things he knows he can improve on and is willing to work hard to improve on. What you see is a result of a lot of hard work in the week.
“He’s a bit of a character, so he’s not just a guy with a smiley face who comes out and is a natural player who performs on match day, he works extremely hard in the week and is diligent with how he prepares for a game.”
