Jamayne Isaako chose Samoa over New Zealand to honour his father, who has brain cancer

When Jamayne Isaako performs the Siva Tau on Saturday it will be the first and maybe the last time his father will watch him play in the colours of Toa Samoa.

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When Jamayne Isaako performs the Siva Tau on Saturday it will be the first and maybe last time his father will watch him in the colours of Toa Samoa.

Isaako’s dad, Taai, was diagnosed with brain cancer only two months ago and the prognosis is not good.

Despite being named in the New Zealand squad to take on Tonga, the Brisbane star told The Daily Telegraph the opportunity to represent his father’s country was the reason he pledged his allegiance to the small Pacific Island nation.

“It was a hard one for me because I was named in the wider squad for the Kiwis,” Isaako said.

“But my family is going through a tough time at the moment with my dad being diagnosed with cancer.

Isaako is the reigning NRL rookie of the year. AAP Image/Dave Hunt.

“He is a really proud Samoan, born and bred, over the islands. I thought it was a great idea to give back to him and the rest of my family and represent Samoa really big.

“I felt it was time to give back to him and represent my dad this time around.”

Unsurprisingly, Isaako’s decision moved his father to tears.

“I told him on Monday and the first thing he did was cry and it put me in tears a wee bit too, to be honest,” Isaako said.

“But I guess that what it means to our families when we do make these decisions to play for our countries.”

The 23-year old was undecided about his immediate international future up until late Sunday night.

“I only really told my dad on Monday morning that I was going to be playing for Samoa because I still wasn’t sure what my decision was going to be,” he said.

“But I stayed back in Sydney after we finished the Broncos game against the Eels and came into Samoan camp and had a talk with our coach Matt Parish and he wanted me to be a part of the team.

Christchurch-born Isaako played two Test matches for New Zealand in 2018, in what was a breakout NRL season for the Broncos youngster when he was also crowned the Dally M rookie of the year.

Isaako’s father Taai has been diagnosed with brain cancer.

While the outside back isn’t shutting the door on playing for the Kiwis in the future, Isaako acknowledges the greater role players like him have in helping to grow rugby league in the Pacific.

“It’s not like I’m brushing the Kiwis or anything like that but I’m always going to give back to Samoa and play for them,” he said.

Manly powerhouse Martin Taupau also switched to Samoa after announcing he would no longer represent New Zealand after playing 24 Tests.

Isaako also told The Daily Telegraph, he and his teammates will dedicate time over the course of the week to practice the Siva Tau, which is a Samoan war dance that will be performed before their clash with Papua New Guinea.

The cultural war dances and Hakas performed before kick-off have become a highlight of the Pacific Test matches in recent years.