Isaiya Katoa, The Dolphins' young playmaker, has declared that he remains committed to representing the Tonga national team, although he is also eligible to represent the New Zealand Kiwis national team.
Although he represented Tonga at the 2022 Rugby League World Cup and in the nation's three-Test series against England at the end of last year, Katoa was born in New Zealand and is eligible to represent them.
However, he is also eligible to represent the New South Wales Blues in State of Origin because he moved to Australia at the age of nine - rules state that a player needs to live in NSW or QLD before the age of 13 to represent their state.
Speaking on his representative ambitions for the future, Katoa has declared that he remains committed to representing Tonga, with the being his main focus apart from club football.
โI am eligible for State of Origin and I'm eligible to play for NSW, but I am happy to be playing for Tonga at the moment,โ said Katoa, per The Courier Mail.
โNathan Cleary is the NSW halfback and my focus is the Dolphins and Tonga in the international season.
โTo be honest, I'm not thinking too much about Origin, I'm only young and not getting carried away.
โWe are building as a Tongan team. I was born in New Zealand, but I love representing my culture and my family for Tonga.
"My first focus is playing well for the Dolphins, then once the NRL season finishes, my focus will go to Tonga and playing well for them on the international stage.โ
While Katoa's main focus is on Tonga in the representative arena, last year, he revealed that it is his dream to one day play for the New Zealand All Blacks in rugby union.
Growing up playing both rugby league and union, Katoa received offers from the NRL and Super Rugby before agreeing on a three-year deal with the Dolphins.
At the same time, the halfback was representing the Australian Schoolboys, leading Barker College to win the Combined Associated Schools premiership to claim the Henry Plume Shield.
"I'd never close out the opportunity to play rugby union because I grew up playing rugby union. It was the first sport I played," Katoa told The Sydney Morning Herald last season.
"I haven't had any contact with Eddie [Jones]. I had a bit of exposure with the Brumbies last year, and it was good to see the professional systems in place with rugby union and compare them to the professional systems in place in rugby league."
"Who knows, maybe down the line ... but it would definitely be with New Zealand. I was born in New Zealand and spent my first nine or 10 years in New Zealand. All I wanted to be was an All Black. I'd never close that door."
