The dreaded second-year syndrome is not about to impact Jahream Bula – because the Wests Tigers young gun doesn’t know what it is.
Tigers coach Benji Marshall even asked if the long-held belief that rookie rugby league players struggle in their sophomore season had any basis in reality.
Some of the finest fullbacks in the game, including James Tedesco, Tom Trbojevic and Reece Walsh, all posted better statistics in their second full seasons.
Bula was one of the rare positives in Tiger Town last year, and there is plenty of excitement about what awaits this year.
Even the legendary Greg Inglis has come on board to help mentor Bula, who is eligible for Queensland but wishes he could play for NSW.
“As long as I have fun, that’s all that matters – as long as I do what I need to do for the team, I’ll be happy with that,” Bula told this masthead.
The only thing I need to work on this year is my confidence, and not being afraid to make mistakes; if I do make a mistake, I can’t dwell on it.”
Marshall said there was a reason the club locked down Bula until the end of 2027, and there had been no signs over the summer to suggest he was nursing a first-season hangover. The only scare has been a shaving accident, which explained the band-aid on his face on Thursday.
