North Queensland recruit Nene Macdonald has backflipped on his threat of boycotting the Papua New Guinea jumper following an off-field incident last month.
Macdonald was irate after allegedly being hit over the head with a bottle hours after representing the Kumuls in an exhibition match against England in Port Moresby.
The former St George Illawarra winger said he would “never put a PNG Kumuls jersey on again” until the perpetuator was found and dealt with.
And after joining his new teammates for pre-season on Monday, Macdonald said the matter had been resolved and was open to pulling on the Kumuls jersey again.
“It was a weird event. It just happened out of nowhere. The police commission sorted it out. I was angry at the time but I’m over it now,” Macdonald told reporters on Monday.
“These things happen. It’s a pretty rough country but I still love that country and playing for them. I was just angry at the time when I said it.”
Macdonald, 24, joins the Cowboys after a strong year with the Dragons, scoring 10 tries in a season for the second time in his career.
With Kyle Feldt cementing his position on the right wing, Macdonald will be a threat on the left at a club the Cairns junior had hoped to play for before debuting for Sydney Roosters in 2014.
He spent two years there, two on the Gold Coast, and then two more at the Dragons before being granted a release from the final year of his deal to return home.
“Growing up I was a massive Cowboys fan, my whole family and that,” he said.
“I obviously went down south and started playing some footy down there, (but I) got the opportunity to come back up here and grabbed it with both hands.
“The Dragons have always been good to me. I had a good chat with (Dragons coach Paul McGregor). He’s such a good bloke.
“He understood I had a chance to go home and that family means a lot. He gave me the OK and I’ve been loving it since I’ve been up.”