Dudley Dotoi, a 23-year-old Papua New Guinea rugby league player known for his impressive try-scoring record of 62 tries in just 53 games, is set to participate in the upcoming World Cup. Terry Campese, a former Kangaroo and current coach at the Townsville Blackhawks, believes this tournament will showcase Dotoi’s talents and prove his worthiness for the NRL. Despite limited exposure in the top league, Dotoi has received recognition in lower divisions, including consecutive Winger of the Year awards in the Queensland Cup.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
He is the uncapped attacking livewire who boasts one of rugby league’s most enviable try-scoring records.
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who → boast → records
As Dudley Dotoi gets ready for the World Cup, a legend of the sport says the event will prove he belongs in the NRL.
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he → get → NRL
“This is a really good platform and arena for [Dotoi] to shine and try and show the NRL that’s where he belongs,” one-time Kangaroo Terry Campese told this masthead.
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Campese → shine → masthead
“He’s pretty much got everything you want as an outside back and as a footy player.
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you → get → player
He’s got strength, speed and this agility about him that’s really hard to come by.
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that → get → him
Campese has brought the Papua New Guinea flyer under his wing since taking the coaching reins at the Townsville Blackhawks, helping the 23-year-old towards consecutive Winger of the Year accolades in the Queensland Cup.
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Campese → bring → Cup
Despite the statistics the boy from Bowen has produced – including 62 tries from just 53 games – his NRL exposure has been limited to a West Tigers stint fresh out of high school, and a train and trial opportunity last summer with the North Queensland Cowboys.
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exposure → produce → Cowboys
After his schoolboy talents were shown at Kirwan State High School, where he shared in state championship glory with Jeremiah Nanai, Dotoi took time to understand what it took to succeed.
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it → show → what
A brief demotion followed one occasion when he couldn’t meet a commitment and failed to tell his teammates.
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he → follow → teammates
triggered change, and in 2026 he was credited with 11 try assists from the flank.
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he → trigger → flank
“Being punctual is probably the easiest word to wrap it all up.
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Being → wrap → it
His priorities at the time – putting training first – he probably didn’t do that as a young kid,” Campese said.
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Campese → put → kid
“Communication is the big one … communicating with the people who can help you through it.
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who → communicate → it
I remember one day he turned up late to training, it was only five minutes, and it was captain’s run, and I had to sit him out.
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I → remember → him
“When you’re out in the trenches, and it’s the 79th minute, people want to know they can rely on you and you’ve got their back.
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you → ’re → back
“He’s got so much talent and so much more to offer.
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He → get → talent
I want to see him play in the NRL.”
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him → want → NRL
With Kumuls winger Alex Johnston ruled out of the World Cup through injury, the door has opened for Dotoi to make his mark at the World Cup, with the PNG campaign beginning against Lebanon on October 17.
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campaign → rule → October
Equipped with “unbelievable strength” and a “spider sense” to reel in bombs, the development of his grunt work coming out of the back field and defensive intent have caught Campese’s eye, with the coach revealing Dotoi would set targets for yardage carries to hit each week.
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carries → equip → targets
Campese first assessed Dotoi’s mindset as “I’ll score three, and they’ll score one”.
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they → assess → one
Now, that had shifted to “he can score five tries and the other guys score none” – a feat he achieved against Souths Logan this year.
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he → shift → Logan
Dotoi is joined in PNG camp by Blackhawks’ teammate Bailey Biondi-Odo, with the halfback set to link up with the New Zealand Warriors for 2027.
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halfback → join → 2027
After 12 NRL appearances for the Bulldogs, injuries derailed the 24-year-old – a ruptured ACL followed by continued groin, calf and hamstring issues.
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injuries → derail → issues
But after Campese asked Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo about the No.7, he sensed he had a winner.
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he → ask → winner
Despite spending “probably 80 per cent of the year” unable to kick as he nursed injury niggles, Biondi-Odo has impressed to the point where the opportunity for a remarkable career resurrection nears.
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opportunity → spend → resurrection
The Kumuls will be without Lachlan Lam (wrist surgery), while the Warriors have farewelled Luke Metcalf, Jett Cleary and Luke Hanson from their halves stocks.
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Warriors → farewelle → stocks
Campese – who spent his 10-year career with the Canberra Raiders in the halves – was adamant Biondi-Odo’s vision to see plays ahead of time and position himself to support made him a lethal threat, and he backed both the Mount Isa product and Dotoi to follow in the footsteps of fellow NRL late-bloomers Jamal Fogarty, Cody Walker and Trai Fuller.
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product → spend → bloomers
“I reckon both of them have the ability and attributes and mindset to be [NRL players], and once they get a sniff, they won’t be giving up that spot,” Campese said.
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Campese → reckon → spot
“There will have to be a decent player coming through wanting to take it off them because I think it’s something they’ll grab with both hands.”
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they → have → hands
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