Tonga’s hopes of clinching a maiden piece of international rugby league silverware will now hinge on whether a returning Jason Taumalolo can inspire what would be one of the biggest boilovers in rugby league history.

The wounded warrior was forced to watch on the sidelines nursing a knee issue as two moments of Jeremiah Nanai magic and an unforeseen 95-minute storm delay ignited Samoa’s Pacific Championships cause, after the star lock was ruled out of Tonga’s 34-6 defeat at Suncorp Stadium.

While the 32-year-old – who had a knee clean out at the end of his NRL season – was unable to attain his own lofty heights for North Queensland in 2025, limited to just 10 games through injury, he so often finds another gear once the red jumper gets on his back.

“He obviously had end of season surger

See Full Page