No need to guess who Jacob Saifiti contacted after being recalled to the NSW Blues Origin team for Game One at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night.
Saifiti’s good news came just two weeks after his twin brother Daniel announced his medical retirement from rugby league at the age of 30 after 191 NRL matches across 10 seasons.
“He was the first person I rang,” Jacob told NRL.com “I was really feeling for him but he’s not the kind of person to get jealous or envious. He was really happy for me.”
Daniel played seven Origins for the Blues across the 2019, 2020 and 2021 series but never played with Jacob, whose two appearances were in 2022 and 2023.
No surprises who has a ticket waiting for them ahead of Game One next Wednesday (May 27) at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.
“He hasn’t asked me yet, but he’s the first person I’d give my (family allocation) tickets to," Jacob said.
Daniel’s reconstructed shoulder has not allowed him to play any games for the Dolphins this year and only eight in 2025.
Jacob himself broke his shoulder in 2018 but has made it back to be one of Newcastle’s most prolific forwards averaging 10 hit-ups and 115 metres a game in 2026.
Inside camp: Jacob Saifiti
“That was a fracture on the shoulder blade where Daniel’s has been a couple of surgeries,” he said.
“The last one especially didn’t heal like it was supposed to. He tried to come back in the pre-season and test it with contact and such, but it still wasn’t good.
“Ater one session, he couldn’t lift up his kids over the next two days.
I know it was such a hard decision for him, but in the end he told me it was easy because family is everything.
"The thought of not being able to pick up kids made it easy.”
Jacob has never questioned Daniel’s support throughout his career, including the nine years they had together at the Knights after debuting in 2016.
And Jacob also didn’t question his belief he would make it back into the Origin team.
“You always have hope, especially when it comes to being in the Blues. All I could do was play my best footy, let the rest take care of itself and thankfully it’s worked this year.
“I’m still nervous. I’d get worried if I wasn’t nervous but it’s exciting as well.
“For me there’s one rule – go your hardest.”
The brothers played two Tests together for Fiji in 2015 and 2017. They made a pact to try and make this year’s World Cup team.
“A goal of Daniel and mine was to play together for Fiji once before we retired,” Jacob said.
“We played together about eight years ago but a World Cup together would have been something.”
Now that Jacob is back among the NRL elite, he’s setting his sights on an Australian jersey.
“That’s the ultimate goal. I was born in Newcastle, raised on the Central Coast,” he said.
“If that opportunity came up obviously I’d take it with both hands. If that’s not the case then so be it. So, if the body is still good I’d like to be there to represent.”
