Rob Toia chooses Tonga over Australia for World Cup after Roosters premiership
Centre Rob Toia chose Tonga over Australia for the World Cup after winning the Roosters premiership.
Rob Toia has turned down Australia to play for Tonga at the Rugby League World Cup, less than a week after winning a premiership with Sydney Roosters. The 22-year-old centre proved crucial to the Roosters' 19-18 grand final victory over Newcastle on Sunday.
Kevin Walters and Kristian Woolf, the Australian and Tongan coaches, both pursued him as the tournament approaches. Toia said he thought about missing out on "a special team" that "has what it takes to win the World Cup" and did not want to sit out.
He believes he will get another chance to play for Australia later in his career. Toia will keep his premiership ring alongside his rookie of the year and centre of the year trophies.
Fellow Roosters teammate Salesi Foketi has also indicated he will reject an approach from New Zealand.
- 22
- Age
- 19-18 over Newcastle
- Premiership score
- England in Perth, October 17
- Tonga's opening match
Why it mattersTop talent choosing smaller nations changes World Cup dynamics; it reflects genuine competitiveness and shows players back winning chances over national honour.
AustraliaAustralia loses a promising centre to Tonga for the World Cup starting October 17; Kevin Walters' squad becomes slightly weaker as other players may make similar choices.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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