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Rabbitohs legend Nathan Merritt has revealed he has two forms of stage 4 cancer and doesn’t know how long he has left to live – but has vowed to fight until the end.
The 42-year-old NRL great has revealed in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail he was hit with two separate, shattering diagnoses within four months of each other.
‘I’ve been diagnosed with stage four cancer – oesophagus and liver cancer,’ Merritt told us from his Sydney home.
‘It’s a bit of tough news to swallow, but I’ve just got to keep fighting ’til the end.
‘It’s a tough pill to swallow for my kids and family. But it’s good – it’s going to be a tough one, but I’m going to fight through it.
‘I’ll start chemo. So I think it’s two weeks on, two weeks off.
South Sydney NRL legend Nathan Merritt (pictured on Tuesday) has revealed he is battling two types of stage 4 cancer
The former Rabbitohs winger (pictured playing in 2014) doesn’t know how long he has left to live – but has vowed to fight until the end
At the time of writing, Merritt has just started chemotherapy in an effort to slow the cancer
‘That’ll probably be my schedule at the hospital over the next few months going forward.’
The father-of-five, with children aged between 11 and 21, was diagnosed with the disease in his oesophagus last November, before being hit with the liver cancer news just a few weeks ago.
‘I only found out that it was stage 4 a few weeks ago,’ Merritt said.
‘All of this treatment is now just about trying to maintain it with chemo, and doing my best to stay alive as long as possible.’
Merritt – who became one of South Sydney’s favourite sons during his decade-long stint with the club – explained how he first became aware that something was seriously wrong with his health.
‘You know, I had problems with my stomach,’ he said.
‘Just my stomach was blowing up on me a lot, and I initially got diagnosed in November for oesophageal cancer.’
Merritt spoke glowingly about his children in light of the shattering diagnoses.
Merritt is pictured with his children and close family. His sons and daughters range from 11 to 21
Merritt (pictured in 2024) stamped himself as one of the biggest and most likeable talents in the game as he played 218 matches for the Bunnies
The 42-year-old (pictured) has reflected on what his children mean to him
Merritt was one of the greatest finishers in the NRL during his 12 years in the league
‘Having my kids made me mature and made me grow into a man… especially when I had my first set of twins [because] I was 20 years old,’ he said.
‘They’ve shaped me into the person I am today.
‘I’ve loved every bit of that time I’ve had with them, and seeing them grow up.’
It’s no secret Merritt, who played 237 first-grade games, has been involved in some legal troubles after retiring from the NRL in 2014.
The Bunnies winger pleaded guilty to affray after being involved in a Sydney pub brawl where he was knocked to the ground last year.
He was also fined $1,500 after being caught drink-driving at more than three times the legal limit, resulting in him spending a night behind bars in April last year.
Merritt suffered another serious medical issue in 2023, when he was placed on life support following a battle with double pneumonia.
He also told the Daily Mail about the toll those experiences took on him, admitting he turned to alcohol to cope.
‘When I realised drinking wasn’t the best option, I tried to change my lifestyle around,’ Merritt said.
‘I just wish I had seen this way of living earlier, when I first retired.’
Merritt broke the record for most tries scored by a South Sydney player against the Penrith Panthers in 2014 (pictured)
Merritt (pictured centre) won his first and only NRL finals match in 2013
Snoop Dogg became a big fan of Merritt’s and even made a personalised video about him
Merritt decided to go sober and hasn’t touched alcohol since late last year.
‘For me, the best choice I’ve made was to stop drinking. I love living life now, being fresh, and I feel in a better headspace,’ he said.
The winger’s determination to fight cancer is hardly surprising, given his reputation for never giving up on the field during his glittering career.
A Souths fan favourite, he was the foundation club’s most prolific try-scorer for eight seasons, until his record was overtaken by fellow Indigenous winger Alex Johnston in 2022.
Merritt was the NRL’s top try-scorer in the 2006 season and his form earned him a spot in the NSW State of Origin side in 2013.
He scored 154 tries across his career, claiming 146 for South Sydney, and eight in a short stint with the Cronulla Sharks.
Breaking the record ‘was a beautiful feeling’, Merritt said.
‘As the opportunity came closer, it was something that I enjoyed looking forward to doing.
‘And you know, once I’d done it, it was a big relief off my shoulders.’
The try-scoring milestone even gained celebrity attention, with Merritt receiving a personalised video from superstar rapper Snoop Dogg.
Merritt (pictured) represented the Indigenous All Stars three times
The likeable winger (pictured left) scored five tries in a single match against the Eels in 2011
‘I remember one day warming up against the Raiders and the message played on the big screen,’ Merritt said.
‘After that message, I turned around and played one of the worst games I ever played.
‘I was like, f***, that put me off.’
Merritt became an inspiration to young Aboriginal children across Australia – a source of great pride for him, having grown up in the heart of Souths territory in Redfern, which became the epicentre of Indigenous culture in Sydney.
‘That was probably one of my biggest achievements,’ he said.
‘If I ever inspired some young kid around the area, I’ve done my job.
‘I just hope I’ve paid my dues, and that some kids have taken something away from what I’ve done and carried it into their own journey in life.’
Merritt’s career was littered with sensational moments, and he fondly recalls becoming the eighth Rabbitohs player to score five tries in a single NRL match back in 2011 against the Parramatta Eels.
‘[Scoring the fifth try] was a special moment for me,’ he recalled.
‘It’s probably one of the main memories that I’ve got from my rugby league career.’
Merritt is facing an uphill battle across the next few months, and is taking it one day at a time.
‘We’ll reassess with the doctors after the first [round of treatment],’ he said.
