Roosters and New Zealand enforcer Naufahu Whyte has lost count of the number of times he has been compared to Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.

He also remembers the very first day he crossed paths with the great man.

It was the end of 2020, COVID was still a nuisance to society, and Whyte, just 18 years of age, was brought over from New Zealand on a train-and-trial deal with the Roosters.

He walked to training one day to watch the NRL side, only for Roosters coach Trent Robinson to single him out and ask him to take part in a training drill.

“I remember feeling honoured and starstruck when looking around and seeing the likes of Jared, Isaac Liu and Sio Siua Taukeiaho,” Whyte said this week.

“I then took my first carry and got absolutely pumped. I didn’t know who had hit me at the time, but I

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