Gold Coast Titans forward Cooper Bai has spoken of his pride and gratitude towards his father, former Super League and NRL star Marcus Bai, as he prepares to make his international debut for Papua New Guinea later this month.
Still only 18, Bai is set to wear the Kumuls jersey for the first time when Jason Demetriou’s side face the Cook Islands in Port Moresby on October 25, nearly two decades after his father last represented the nation.
Marcus Bai, a Grand Final winner with Leeds Rhinos in 2004, became one of Papua New Guinea’s most celebrated exports, having also played for Hull FC, Bradford Bulls, Melbourne Storm and the Gold Coast Charges during an illustrious career that saw him score freely across both hemispheres.
“Dad has done so much for my career”
Speaking to the Australian Associated Press ahead of his debut, Cooper said: “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.”
The teenager, who made his NRL debut in Round 27 against Wests Tigers, will first feature in this weekend’s Prime Minister’s XIII match before joining the Kumuls squad.
Sporting his trademark green skullcap, Bai now looks ready to carry forward a family legacy that began long before he was born, and one he’s determined to honour on the international stage.