Jazz Tevaga thought his NRL career was over, and with it, his days representing Samoa on the international stage.
But after swapping the NRL for the Super League and helping Wakefield Trinity claim the premiership in his debut season in England, the veteran forward has been handed an unexpected chance to play for Samoa.
The 31-year-old, whose 162-game NRL career came to an end in 2025, will represent Samoa at this year’s IRL Rugby League World Cup, marking his first appearance at the tournament since 2017.
Classic Toa Samoa Rugby League World Cup tries
Tevaga will come off the bench when Samoa opens their tournament against France at CommBank Stadium. The match is part of a double-header, with Fetu Samoa to face the Jillaroos in the second clash.
Coach Ben Gardiner made the call to bring Tevaga back into the fold soon after the Super League grand final, with the forward admitting he was surprised to be given another opportunity.
“I didn’t,” Tevaga said when asked if he expected the call-up.
“It’s hard for players over there to make their way back into tournaments here, especially when you have the cream of the crop over here in the NRL.
“I wasn't expecting the call from Benny, but of course I couldn't say no.”
Tevaga featured in Samoa’s 2017 World Cup campaign, when the Pacific nation reached the quarterfinal, but missed the 2022 tournament as the side went on a remarkable run to the final, where they were beaten by Australia.
Now back in the squad, he hopes his experience can help Samoa build on that success and go one step further this year.
Stephen Crichton, Junior Paulo and Jarome Luai headline the familiar faces returning from previous international campaigns and Tevaga believes the foundations are in place for Samoa to achieve something special.
“We're building our game on what we have been building over the past couple of years,” he said.
“Our core group is pretty much the same, we just need to get those combinations firing and are going to use the next couple of weeks to build our game and get a solid structure.
“We spoke about the last World Cup and have put that behind us.”
While Tevaga arrives fresh off a successful season in England, his return to Australian rugby league presents a different challenge.
After spending a year in the Super League, he knows he will need to quickly readjust to the pace and interpretation of the rules in the NRL, where the speed of the ruck has become a defining feature of the modern game.
“It took me a while to settle in and adjust to the way of life over there,” he said.
“The game is a lot different over there, the rules are policed a bit different.
“I think I need to try find my bearings a lot quicker. There are no second chances here in the World Cup.”
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Tevaga will not be the only player returning from the Super League who needs to make a quick adjustment, with the short pool-stage campaign leaving little time to find their feet.
And with England facing a tough challenge against Tonga, Tevaga knows the newcomers will need to pick it up quickly.
“They have to adapt fast, learn fast, but they have a lot of NRL players in there that they can learn off,” he said.
“I think this first time will be a hard test. They have Tonga. If they want to go well in this tournament, they have got to adapt fast.”
Don't miss out on your chance to watch Samoa in Friday's double-header at CommBank Stadium. The men kick off at 5.45pm before the Samoan women take on the Jillaroos in a prime-time showdown at 8.05pm. Tickets available from just $19. Don’t miss the pinnacle of global Rugby League.
