Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Jaime Chapman’s romance a winner on and off the field

Move aside Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler, these two Queensland based speedsters are staking their own campaign to be named Australia’s true sporting power couple.

Dolphins speedster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has paid tribute to his girlfriend, NRLW star Jaime Chapman, for being more settled than ever ahead of the new 2025 NRL season.

Panthers champion Nathan Cleary and Matildas ace Mary Fowler aren’t the only power couple in Australian sport.

The ‘Hammer’, 23, and Chapman, 22, set tongues wagging when the NRLW Titans attacking machine went public last December, posting a picture of the couple on social media and confirming their burgeoning romance.

The duo were also the poster couple for the men’s and women’s Indigenous sides in last week’s All Stars clash against their Maori rivals at CommBank Stadium.

Tabuai-Fidow offered a sheepish chuckle when Sport Confidential suggested one of the NRL’s most eligible bachelors is now off the market, saying he has found off-field happiness with Chapman.

“It’s pretty special,” The Hammer said of his new relationship.

“When you’re away from footy, you do the things you love and you want to do it with the people you’re comfortable with as well.

“When you are happy, it carries onto the field and into training as well.

“If you’re happy outside of footy, you know you’re going to play well and perform as well.”

Chapman relished their time in Indigenous All Stars camp but the NSW flyer joked her love for Queensland centre Tabuai-Fidow won’t extend to the Origin arena.

“It’s rare but something really cool we can share together,” Chapman said of their All Stars weekend. “Getting to spend time together in camp and experience this with him, and both go out there and give it our best, is amazing.

“I’ll support him no matter what he does and no matter what team he plays for. I’ll be going for him, but not the Maroons.

“It’s quite hard when you’re both in the spotlight and when we came out as being together it was a pretty good response from the community. We’ve been really good and really happy.”

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Jaime Chapman each played fullback for the All Stars. Picture: Justin Lloyd

The Dolphins fullback said it helped having a partner who understands the pressures of rugby league at the top level.

“We’re in the same profession and I think it’s pretty cool,” he said.

“Whenever she needs help, I’m there to help her.

“I’ll always be by her side and support what she wants to do.

“I think we feed off both of each other and just wherever we need help, it’s pretty easy to ask one another if you need to work on this or work on that.

“We’ll see how the year pans out, I’m looking forward to watching her play, too.”

MAROONS’ NEW ORIGIN HOME

Billy Slater’s Maroons have found a new training headquarters as Queensland look to reclaim the State of Origin title this season.

Sport Confidential can reveal the Maroons are on the move, severing ties with their long-time base at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast and heading north to Twin Waters on the Sunshine Coast.

Slater won back-to-back titles in 2022-23 plotting NSW’s downfall from Sanctuary Cove, but the Blues hit back last season to claim the 2024 Origin shield.

Now the Queensland Rugby League hope a change of scenery can inspire a Maroons fightback in 2025.

The Maroons have severed ties with their long-time base at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast. Picture: Getty Images

The Maroons have a history with the Sunshine Coast region, with Mal Meninga’s record-breaking squad having previously spent many years at Coolum resort.

“It’s a great set up with everything we need for the players to prepare well,” Slater said of the shift to Twin Waters.

“When the opportunity came up to look at returning to the Sunshine Coast, it became clear that it was the right fit for our group as well as the QRL.

“We’re really looking forward to getting up there in May and settling into a passionate rugby league area that has a long and proud history of producing Maroons.”

WHY CARRIGAN IS NO LONGER VICE-CAPTAIN AT BRONCOS

He was once touted as the man-in-waiting for the Broncos captaincy.

But Pat Carrigan has to prove his leadership bona fides all over again after losing his status as vice-captain under coach Michael Maguire’s new regime at the Broncos.

Maguire has scrapped the traditional vice-captaincy model at Red Hill, instead leaving the deputy role vacant as part of a leadership group which supports club skipper Adam Reynolds.

Reynolds was last month officially retained as captain for the 2025 premiership, but Carrigan was not formally anointed as his vice-captain.

The Queensland Origin ironman was Reynolds’ vice-skipper under former coach Kevin Walters, with Carrigan captaining Brisbane in nine games last season when the champion halfback was out injured.

It was a chequered past 12 months for Reynolds and Carrigan, who, aside from Brisbane’s 12th-placed free fall, were forced to apologise for their drunken off-field wrestle in a disastrous build-up to the 2024 season.

(L-R) Patrick Carrigan and Adam Reynolds front a press conference following their 2024 pre-season wrestle. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Now Carrigan’s long-term captaincy credentials are under the microscope as Brisbane confront a skipper’s succession plan for the off-contract Reynolds, who is tipped to retire at season’s end.

Maguire has great respect for Carrigan’s ability and it was one reason why Brisbane’s reigning Paul Morgan Medallist was included in a five-man leadership group named last month.

The group includes skipper Reynolds, Carrigan, Payne Haas, Kotoni Staggs and Ben Hunt, who joined the Broncos over summer from the Dragons.

Carrigan has support among powerful figures with Broncos Old Boy and former skipper Gorden Tallis last year calling for the Origin and Test forward to replace Reynolds as skipper in 2025.

But Carrigan will not have the vice-captaincy beside his name for round 1 and at this stage it’s a mystery who will be named stand-in skipper if Reynolds is unavailable throughout the season.

The battle to succeed Reynolds as captain in 2026 is well and truly on, with Hunt emerging as a serious contender given his age, 35 next month, playmaking position and experience as a 334-game NRL veteran.

Patrick Carrigan is a firm fan favourite at Red hill. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Maguire is also a massive fan of Haas from their time together in the NSW Origin set-up, while the 26-year-old Staggs has also impressed Broncos hierarchy with his maturity over the past two seasons.

Carrigan has a history of impressing in leadership position. He is a former Queensland under-20s captain and under Walters, the 27-year-old was seen as the obvious successor to Reynolds because of his on-field consistency and off-field popularity with fans and club sponsors.

But Maguire believes he has a number of leaders and has previously identified Haas as a future Broncos captain.

Walters’ coaching successor has challenged Brisbane’s playing group to step up and support Reynolds as the Broncos prepare for their premiership opener against the Roosters on March 6.

“I like the strength of the players around Reyno,” Maguire said.

“We have a lot of experience around him with Payne, Patty, Benny Hunt and Kotoni.

“Reyno is in the headspace to drive the standards I want, but the influence of the group is also important.

“I’m also looking at guys like Corey Jensen, Kobe Hetherington, ‘Paixy’ (Cory Paix) and Billy (Walters) to help lead the way. They have got experience.

“I have a good blend of players to get from where we are now to where we want to get to.”

Originally published as Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Jaime Chapman’s romance a winner on and off the field