League: Kiwi winger is one of a kind

Jason Nightingale has a direct approach to league. Photo / Richard Robinson

It's taken the best part of four seasons in the Kiwis but fans can now appreciate what Jason Nightingale does - and doesn't - bring to the side.

Nightingale has a club and international record most players would envy. He's a one-club man, having played for St George-Illawarra since debut in first grade in 2007; coach Stephen Kearney picked him for the national side in 2008 and he has featured every year since, marking his 14th test overnight against Wales.

Nightingale was in the World Cup-winning squad but didn't play in the final; he helped win the Four Nations in 2010 when his late dash and infield pass helped create Nathan Fien's tournament winning try; he sampled double success that year - scoring two tries for the Dragons in the NRL grand final.

Yet at 1.83m and 92kg, Nightingale is hardly a Vatuvei-esque physical force. Instead he employs a simple, largely error-free brand of league which has piqued the attention of Kearney and former Dragons coach Wayne Bennett.

Of the 2011 NRL wingers, Nightingale played 23 games but is listed at 36th for "errors". He made 10 during the season, less than half an error a game. That is what was so uncharacteristic about his performance at Newcastle last month - he made four errors, topping the count and forming part of a shonky defence.

The 25-year-old's tackling is not normally so brittle. He was the top defender (10.4 tackles per game) among NRL wingers who had played more than five games this season; in contrast he was 44th for average missed tackles. His offloads (second with 29 behind Manu Vatuvei) and tackle breaks (third with 92) highlight him as a player for intensive marking.

Nightingale also backed up a poor test performance in Newcastle by topping the metre tally in the Warrington loss with 144m. He also stresses the importance of support play which saw him snaffle a try last weekend.

"Support play has always been drilled into me as vital. Nine out of 10 times you won't be needed," he said, "the other time it pays dividends like against Australia."

Former Kiwis captain and fellow winger Richie Barnett sums up Nightingale's influence as "absolute professional".

"His value to the Kiwis culture is undervalued by outsiders but probably not Kearney. He is ideal for his style of coaching which involves getting the culture right first.

"Jason rarely makes a mistake. He's safe under the high ball, swallows balls along the ground and can easily run out of trouble. He gets decent yards squirming out of tackles, shows no fear and is versatile being able to play on either wing or at fullback.

"He has few flaws on defence and his support play is first-class. People don't see a lot of that background work."

Nightingale is understanding his role better and recognises his purpose.

"I don't get as nervous now ahead of big games. Most rugby league comes down to muscle memory for me. You do things automatically, helped by experience and repetition at training."

Having Kearney around helps, too: "He has a rapport with the players," Nightingale says. "Especially the older ones, which makes it easier when we get back together year on year. I'm pleased to have cemented a spot for now because there is no lack of wing depth, even with Manu Vatuvei and Sam Perrett absent."

Another subtle force insinuates itself into Nightingale's football brain. "I consider myself lucky to have worked under Wayne Bennett [at the Dragons for three years from 2009]. The way he distributes knowledge has been career-changing; he created a winning culture to take us to a premiership in 2010. He makes sure you have everything in order outside the team environment; he takes an interest in your life, rather than just football. That makes him a great reader of individuals. It's helped Stephen too, having worked under Wayne at the World Cup."

Nightingale is enjoying end-of-season touring life for a fourth straight year.

"Attending two football matches - Liverpool v Norwich and Fulham v a Polish outfit [Wisla Krakow] have kept us busy. We've also enjoyed a drink after games, sightseeing around London and have broken off into competitive little groups within the squad. Benji [Marshall], Sika [Manu] and Ben [Matulino] are three players in my unit."