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If not for a phone call from Wayne Bennett, Jamayne Isaako’s career may have ended years ago.
Cut from the Brisbane Broncos, then left languishing in reserve grade at the Gold Coast Titans, his NRL tenure was in limbo.
A career as a carpenter beckoned.
“When I left the Broncos, I was heartbroken. I always thought I was going to be a one-club man,” Isaako says.
“I was kind of pushed out, they had some young guns coming through, and I had to make way for them.
“An opportunity came up to go to the Titans, and it probably wasn’t the best move. I just remember finishing that season not completely sure of whether I still wanted to go ahead and play footy.
Jamayne Isaako admits to feeling heartbroken at the time of his Broncos’ departure.Credit: NRL Photos
“I was at a crossroads.”
Bennett and the Dolphins changed that.
“He said come for the preseason, and if you still feel the same after, do whatever you want to do,” Isaako says.
“I feel like that helped me a lot as a footy player and as a person, being able to have deep conversations with him that really helped me find myself.”
‘Wayne rode the shit out of me’
Isaako burst onto the scene as one of the game’s most promising wingers, swiftly earning his maiden Test cap for New Zealand.
But as the Broncos fell into the doldrums, claiming the 2020 wooden spoon and finishing 14th in 2021, he was a casualty of the rebuild.
As his confidence went, so did his form – a period he admits he “didn’t handle well”.
But following that inaugural Dolphins’ preseason, Isaako found his best.
“Wayne rode the shit out of me. Whenever I used to make a mistake – a dropped ball or misread in defence – he was always on my case,” Isaako says.
“He literally pushed me to my limits … I’ve never pushed myself as hard I did in that preseason.
“That helped because in the back of my head I was constantly pushing myself, whereas I hadn’t had that in previous years.”
Three years later, Isaako has 46 tries, a league-leading 713 points, and a New Zealand jumper he insists he will not be trading for Samoa (who he represented once).
Sunday’s game against the Titans will be his 71st consecutive game.
The 29-year-old credits an extensive regimen away from training for his consistency, with a sauna and ice bath installed at his home.
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As for his points scoring spree, and 81.82 per cent goal kicking accuracy, that credit goes to the smallest of allies.
“I’ve got a six-year-old boy and he loves being outdoors, so whenever we get the chance, we go and have a kick. That’s probably helped me become a bit more accurate,” Isaako says.
“He definitely keeps me on my toes, and if I didn’t have him dragging me out to the park, I probably wouldn’t be practicing as much outside of training.”
Dolphin for life
Under coach Kristian Woolf, the Dolphins have assembled a squad they believe have a premiership within them.
England lock Morgan Knowles and Queensland Maroons flyer Selwyn Cobbo will arrive next year, while Felise Kaufusi signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.
Isaako, off contract in 2026, will be free to negotiate with rivals from November 1, but stressed his desire was to remain in Dolphins’ colours.
Jamayne Isaako is set to finish a third-straight regular season as the NRL’s leading point scorer.Credit: Getty Images
“I want to stay here, I want to stay in Brisbane – whether that’s the case or not, I’m not too sure,” Isaako says.
“I know what Woolfy is like, and he’s committed to having blokes at the club who are willing to work hard.
“I’ll leave that up to my manager, [but] I’d love to stay and try to finish my career here in Brisbane.”
Finals path and the return of Farnworth
The equation is simple for the Dolphins to feature in their maiden finals campaign – win and hope the Roosters stumble.
Even triumphs against the Titans and Raiders will require an eighth-placed Sydney losing one of their matches, while they desperately need to rediscover their mid-season spark.
Isaako is at a loss for where the side’s defensive resilience has gone, having conceded 160 points in the past three weeks, which coincided with Herbie Farnworth’s hamstring injury.
But the sight of the strike centre running has presented hope he could return for the final round.
“Hamstrings are one of those injuries where you can never be too cautious with it, especially given the recovery time they’ve given Herbie – I think he was due back maybe that first week of finals,” Isaako says.
“But he’s tracking pretty well. He’s looking pretty good and healthy, so fingers crossed he can strap the boots up next week if we need him to.”
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