Hoop dreams turn to NRL reality for rising Tiger Jahream

Three games into his NRL career and it’s clear Jahream Bula is capable of freakish things in attack, but it’s his desperation in defence that has been pivotal to Wests Tigers posting back-to-back wins for the first time since April last year.

After making his debut against Manly in Round 8, the 21-year-old came up with 102 running metres, a try assist for David Nofoaluma’s 100th career four-pointer and an incredible trysaver on Panthers superstar Nathan Cleary to ensure the Tigers clung to a 12-8 lead in Bathurst in Round 9.

At Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, Bula cranked up his running metres to 180 and broke six tackles before producing a lunging cover tackle to deny Dragons winger Mikaele Ravalawa and ensuring he Tigers came away with an 18-16 win.

With the Dragons launching one final raid and the Tigers scrambling, Bula was first confronted by a rampant Moses Suli, who seemed certain to go for the line himself before flicking the ball out to his winger.

Sensing his own moment of glory, Ravalawa got down low and lunged for the tryline, only to be denied by Bula and Isaiah Papali’i, who had played all 79 minutes to that point and wasn’t about to let victory slip away in the 80th.

“I just knew I had to make the tackle, it was the last minute of the game and I just put my body on the line,” Bula told media post-match.

“I just had to get there, that’s all I’m thinking in that moment… trying to step up in the big moments in the NRL.

“Lots of my family members were in that corner where I saved the try so that made it even more special.”

After moving from Auckland to Australia as a 13-year-old to attend famed rugby league nursery Keebra Park State High School, Bula signed with the Titans in 2019 before taking two years away from the game to play basketball.

The youngster admits he didn’t see himself coming back to league but it was a chance appearance at a rugby sevens tournament that reignited his passion for footy and he hasn’t looked back since.

“I moved down here from the Gold Coast intending on playing basketball but I went to the Ella 7s to watch my cousin play and they needed an extra number so I filled in and I found my love for footy again there,” he told Tigers Media ahead of his NRL debut.

After playing Jersey Flegg in 2022, Bula graduated to NSW Cup this season with Wests Magpies and quickly served notice he was ready for the big time.

“I’m having so much fun and the boys guide me around and make it easy for me,” he said.

“Playing basketball definitely helped with my athleticism and I’m feeling comfortable out there.

“I idolised Greg Inglis when I was growing up and more recently I’ve watched Latrell Mitchell a lot and they are two similar players.

“I’m ready for the challenge [of playing Latrell this week], that’s what I’ve trained my whole life for.

“A guy of his skill and physicality will be a great challenge but I’ll just keep doing my job.”

It’s clear Bula has great respect for the Rabbitohs superstar, who looms as a huge stumbling block in the Tigers’ bid for three straight wins, but he won’t be overawed.

Asked by the media whether he’ll be asking Latrell for a selfie at full-time on Saturday, Bula smiled and said ‘yeah, for sure’, but the way he’s been playing it might just be the other way around.