3 minute read

A boyhood Brisbane fan, James Segeyaro still cannot quite believe he's signed for the NRL club.

He has played 141 NRL matches at three clubs but James Segeyaro was as excited as a kid on the first day at school when he arrived at Brisbane training on Monday.

The 28-year-old has joined the Broncos as a mid-season recruit from Cronulla, after the Sharks' salary cap woes forced him to start the year playing with feeder team Newtown in the NSW Cup.

Segeyaro was a boyhood Broncos fan with Darren Lockyer as his hero and Karmichael Hunt photos adorning his bedroom wall.

That's why he endured a mostly sleepless night before arriving for his first training session at Red Hill.

"Growing up in Cairns the Broncos were my No.1 team ... didn't think this wouldn't even be a possibility," Segeyaro said.

"Got the opportunity to come here and I've grabbed it with both arms."

"I didn't get much sleep last night, I don't know why, I've been at a couple of clubs before but I was so nervous to come in."

The Papua New Guinea international's arrival has come at a vital time for the Broncos with hooker Andrew McCullough (knee) sidelined for at least the next month.

Segeyaro looks like he'll be thrown straight into the mix for this week's visit by defending premiers the Sydney Roosters.

After a turbulent start to 2019, Segeyaro hopes it's the first of many appearances for the club.

"I can only hope," he said.

"I'm sure if I'm playing good footy the rest will take care of itself.

"I've always wanted to see myself being back in Queensland, here I am, there's no distractions so I can definitely keep my head on footy and really put in a performance each week and be consistent. Hopefully play a lot more games for the Broncos."