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The NRL superstar has turned down a massive carrot with his enormous decision.
The NRL superstar has turned down a massive carrot with his enormous decision. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has put to bed speculation about his international plans for October with a declaration that will thrill the nation of Samoa.
Tabuai-Fidow made his allegiance clear at a Samoa fan day during last year’s Pacific Championships, but there has been jockeying in the background by nations to secure their best talents for the World Cup, which starts next month. Several players qualify for two or more countries, and Tabuai-Fidow is one of them. Tabuai-Fidow then played for Australia on six occasions, and the Kangaroos reached out to him to find out whether he was available again this year.
“If Hammer is comfortable with Samoa we respect that decision. He’s one of the game’s elite players and will be good for Samoa,” Australia coach Kevin Walters said. The Australians have a carrot of $40,000 for each player who contests the World Cup, with representatives from other nations receiving just $850 per match. The Dolphins fullback said his love for Australia was undiminished, but that money couldn’t buy the cultural bonds nations such as Samoa have forged.
Credit: AAP“Obviously playing for Australia is one of the biggest things I’ve done in my career,” Tabuai-Fidow said.
“And I do love the green and gold, but I think there was more to the family side after seeing all the boys, especially Payne Haas, make that move. “And I think the Samoan culture, where the heritage is, we’re building something special there for the country and it’s something cool to see. Tabuai-Fidow’s father — Simon Fidow — is Samoan and has roots in the village of Lufilufi.
His mother, Karin, has connections to Saibai Island in the Torres Strait, which her son honours with a tattoo of a shark and a cassowary. There was a moment at last year’s Samoa fan day during the Pacific Championships that summed up the excitement about Tabuai-Fidow’s commitment to play for the country at the World Cup.
The crowd of 8000 had been told a big player announcement was set to be made, but the team bus was running late and the scheduled time for the arrival of the man known as “Hammer” on stage was put back more than an hour. The decision last year of South Sydney-bound prop Payne Haas to play for Samoa at the Pacific Championships after previously lining up with Australia lit a fuse in a fire that already burned deep within Tabuai-Fidow.
“We spoke about it during the year a bit that we were on the edge to go over, and obviously he made that decision to do it and I got injured last year, which ruled me out ,” Tabuai-Fidow said. “I was hoping to play last year as well with him. It was obviously that big pull for me to go over too, so yeah.
“For him it was massive and especially for the country of Samoa. The likes of Jarome Luai, Brian To’o and Stephen Crichton and other big names within that team makes you want to go over and play well and rub shoulders with them as well. ”
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