Nor, it seems, has he lost his obsession with fishing.
The Highlanders have their prize catch back on the field and the effervescent winger is bouncing off the walls as he prepares to help his battling team stage a late run to the playoffs.
Nareki (25) has had rotten luck with injuries, missing the entire 2022 Super Rugby campaign as he recovered from a ruptured ACL, playing just two games for Otago in the NPC before hurting an ankle, and succumbing to a foot injury in the Highlanders preseason.
He made a couple of appearances off the bench before playing the whole game against the Brumbies on Sunday and loving every minute in the Canberra sun.
"That’s the first 80 I’ve played in a while," Nareki said.
"It was great. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s been a long time coming, and to finish a match with 80 minutes was quite cool to achieve since I’ve been back and forth with the injuries that I’ve had.
"It was good, personally, Just unfortunate we couldn’t get the win."
Nareki has had plenty of time to learn about the importance of staying patient while rehabilitating.
He said he was passionate about not lowering his standards and about maintaining a high level of professionalism.
Thankfully for Highlanders fans, the ebullient winger believes the long layoffs have not affected the wings on his heels.
"I’ve been held back a bit in my training sessions but now that I’m good to go, I can just open up and unleash."
The Fijian-born flyer has added about 5kg during his rehabilitation period.
"I could almost be a bodybuilder.
"Probably it’s just because I haven’t been playing, and I’ve been eating blue cod and stuff like that."
Ah, yes. Back to fishing.
Nareki loves a dazzling run and a try on the rugby field but his happy place away from the sport is the open water with a rod in hand — and he has a remarkable ability to turn most interview questions back to his beloved activity.
Asked, for example, if he struggled to stay positive while spending the bulk of two years on the injured list, he replied:
"I’m always positive. I’ll always try something positive if I’m injured.
"I just found my positive on the ocean. I’m a blue cod specialist.
"I think it’s my life after rugby, I reckon. It’s looking that way.
"I’m quite the fisherman, I must admit. I’m a great filleter too."
Loose forward Shannon Frizell also loves fishing but Nareki feels there is no doubt who is the angling authority in the squad.
"Everyone’s asking me about the weather and stuff like that. I provide the advice for good days and bad days out on the ocean."
Nareki, who is contracted to the Highlanders until 2025, did what he could while sidelined to help his Highlanders team-mates find some winning form this season.
He enjoyed reviewing games and talking to fellow backs about little things that could have been done differently, and he is optimistic the team can still make the playoffs, starting with Saturday’s home game against the Rebels.
"We’ll show it this week that we should definitely be in that top eight.
"Our focus is just to win these next two games and see how it goes."
