NRL and State of Origin star declares World Cup allegiance as Kangaroos suffer latest blow
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (pictured) will continue to represent Samoa for the foreseeable future.
Queensland Maroons star Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has pledged his allegiance to Samoa for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, in a welcome boost for the Pacific Island nation.
‘The Hammer’ initially declared for Samoa ahead of this year’s Pacific Championships, but has been ruled out of the Southern Hemisphere competition through a knee injury.
The Dolphins ace joined the rest of the Samoa squad at a public appearance yesterday (Tuesday, 21st October), where he publicly announced his decision to represent his heritage at the upcoming World Cup, which gets underway in a year’s time.
‘He’s an incredible talent with representative experience at the highest level’
Test rugby is nothing new to Tabuai-Fidow, either. The full-back initially made his debut for Samoa at the 2022 World Cup, before opting to represent Australia a year later and won six caps for the Kangaroos. In that time, he also scored four tries and helped them win the 2024 Pacific Championship title.
He has also been a consistent member of the Queensland squad in recent years, after making his Origin debut in 2021. To date, Tabuai-Fidow has played 10 times for his state, helping them win two series in the process.
Commenting on the news, Samoa head coach Ben Gardiner said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Hamiso into the Toa Samoa family.
“He’s an incredible talent with representative experience at the highest level.
“Hamiso is eager to contribute to the team’s future success, and we can’t wait to see him wear the blue jersey on the world stage in 2026.”
Samoa front-row forward Terrell May added: “I think the squad next year is going to be really strong with Hammer in and a couple of boys that are injured.
“Samoa’s building something special.”
The addition of Tabuai-Fidow is the latest in a line of high-profile defections within the NRL. Fellow Maroon Valentine Holmes has opted to play for the Cook Islands at the next World Cup and has also joined their coaching staff for the Pacific Championships and World Cup qualifier against South Africa, while former Kangaroo and current New South Wales Blues and Brisbane Broncos star Payne Haas has also pledged his allegiance to Samoa for the foreseeable future.
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