Tabuai-Fidow Eyes Samoa Representation in NRL

NRL player Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow weighs options for international representation, considering his Samoan heritage and potential opportunities with the Samoa national team.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is considering a switch to the Samoa national team. He previously represented Samoa in 2022 before playing for Australia in the 2023 Pacific Championships. A rule change introduced in 2016 allows NRL players of Pacific heritage to play for their nation without affecting their State of Origin eligibility.

The rules were further refined in 2020, removing waiting periods for players switching from a Tier 1 team (Australia, England/Great Britain, New Zealand) to a Tier 2/3 side (all others). The exception is that a player cannot represent two national teams in the same calendar year. This means Tabuai-Fidow may be eligible to play for Samoa in 2025, depending on the specific rules and regulations governing international representation in rugby league.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is enthusiastic about the number of Samoan players in the NRL, saying, “It's pretty cool how many Samoans play in the NRL. If they get the crew together it'll be a pretty special team.” He's also focused on improving his performance after a slow start to the season.

The Hammer is reportedly considering representing Samoa as the next in a series of big-name players committing to the island nation.

A full-strength Samoa is a scary and exciting prospect; could this be how they line up at the end of the year?

Who have we left out?#NRL pic.twitter.com/QBYVdo4yUZ

— SEN League (@SENLeague) April 8, 2025

When asked about his chances for the Kangaroos' end-of-season tour of England, Tabuai-Fidow acknowledged that his last four games have been below his best. “Going off the last four weeks I need to come out of my shell,” he said. “I'm not thinking too much about the end of the year. I just want to play good footy and see what happens from there.”

The Dolphins are set to face the Penrith Panthers in Round 6, and Samoa will re-enter the Pacific Championships tournament, joining Tonga and New Zealand in the Cup division, after missing the 2024 event due to their tour of England.