After his leanest season in 14 years, one clash will seal Taumalolo’s legacy

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This is the battle which could cement Jason Taumalolo’s legacy as an international rugby league pioneer, one which will come after a season spent in the doldrums fighting a glut of injury concerns.

Fresh off his trip to Tonga, where he was greeted with a rare insight into royal life by dining with the country’s king, the veteran enforcer declared himself freed of the medical woes which curtailed his NRL campaign ahead of the island nation’s Pacific Championships clash with Samoa.

Around 45,000 spectators are expected to descend on Suncorp Stadium for Sunday’s contest, in what looms as a landmark moment for the global game.

Jason Taumalolo will leave an international rugby league legacy.

It all stems from Taumalolo and Andrew Fifita’s decision back in 2017 to rule themselves out of New Zealand and Australia selection respectively to join the Tongan World Cup cause, with a host of players following suit.

On Tuesday, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow joined fellow State of Origin stars Jarome Luai, Jeremiah Nanai and Payne Haas – among others – in defecting to Samoa, adding fuel to the debate regarding the way in which Origin and international eligibility criteria align.

But while Taumalolo deflected praise for what his allegiance change has done for the code, he said a balance needed to be found to keep both representative concepts thriving.

“I know a lot has been said about the guys going back to the little nations given the Origin eligibility, but for rugby league and international football it’s always great,” Taumalolo said.

“I’m not going to take any credit for it, before me there were players who made the decision, and not just before me but alongside me. But for international rugby league, it’s only going to get better, and the more you see these players go back to their country it puts a smile on my face.

“It will make their country stronger, and I’m all for that.”

Such has been the seismic shift, a future in which Australia does not feature in a World Cup final could eventuate as soon as the 2026 showcase.

But Taumalolo was in no mood to play fortune-teller, insisting, “I can’t foretell what’s going to happen next year … [but] in a game of rugby league, anything can happen.”

Instead, his focus rested solely on Sunday’s war. Taumalolo hopes to cast aside a horror 2025 in which he managed just 10 games – his fewest since 2011, when he was just 18 and earning his stripes.

A Lisfranc injury suffered in last year’s Pacific Championships derailed the start of his campaign, while a calf complaint kept him sidelined for 14 weeks.

“It wasn’t the type of year I wanted, just back-to-back injuries and re-injuring myself. I didn’t really give myself the chance to get back on the field,” Taumalolo said.

“Not being able to start the year kind of put me behind the eight-ball, so I was a little bit disappointed on that side of things. But it was good to be able to string together a few games at the back end and to be even given the opportunity to come here and play for Tonga, I got lucky there.

“The body’s feeling good, so I’m ready to go.”

While Taumalolo admits the thought of when his last hurrah in the Tongan jersey will come has entered his mind, adamant he will leave the squad in a better place than when he joined it, the end of next season will thrust him into unfamiliar territory.

Having signed a historic 10-year deal with the North Queensland Cowboys, the 32-year-old will become a free agent from November 1, 2026.

North Queensland’s Jason Taumalolo returned from a lengthy lay-off in round 23 against the Eels.

The injury-plagued lock is determined to see out his contract, but insists he has not given his next move any thought.

“I love being at the Cowboys, I’ve been there my whole career and would like to finish as one of the players who get to finish as a one-club man. In saying that, anything can happen in rugby league,” Taumalolo said.

“You see players you would never expect to leave their clubs [leave], but I haven’t exercised that thought just yet.

“I signed the deal for a reason, but a lot of contracts have gone out the window … you rarely see those these days, where guys want to see it out and want to stay with their club.

“Anything can happen between now and then, but Tonga is my first focus.”

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