Cronulla utility Siosifa Talakai has expressed his desire to shut down Cowboys star Jason Taumalolo in Friday's semi-final and claim bragging rights before the pair are reunited in the Tongan squad for the Pacific Championships.
The physically imposing players will lock horns in a sudden-death clash at Allianz Stadium, with the winner to progress to the preliminary final and the loser to turn their focus to the end of season international matches.
Talakai and Taumalolo formed a close bond during their time together in the Tongan squad at the 2022 World Cup and have remained close in the two years since.
While Talakai is excited to link up with his friend for the Pacific Championships, there will be no love lost when they face off on Friday night.
Match Highlights: Tonga v Wales
"We're competitors at the end of the day," Talakai told pan66.com. "You don't want to lose against someone else. All you do is set out a plan to go out and perform and come away with the win.
"Outside footy we're all mates and we have a special connection to each other. When we're on the field it's war. There's no friends or brothers out there, when you cross that line it's war. Then you come off and you can be friends again.
"It will be good to go against him. He's the leader of our Tongan team so hopefully [the Sharks] get our game on and come away with the win, then I can brag to him about it after."
Match: Sharks v Cowboys
Finals Week 2 -
home Team
Sharks
4th Position
away Team
Cowboys
5th Position
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Taumalolo's passion for his country of heritage has been on display since he opted to represent Tonga over New Zealand at the 2017 World Cup.
The decision triggered an international resurgence for the Pacific Island nation and a host of stars quickly followed his lead. The movement soon spread to Samoa, with some of the NRL's biggest names now proudly representing their ancestry.
The shift has seen the two nations regularly compete with Australia and New Zealand, with Taumalolo leading Tonga to a historic victory over the Kangaroos in 2019.
Tonga are out to claim another win over Australia when the two sides face off in the opening match of the Pacific Championships at Suncorp Stadium on October 18.
Match: Kangaroos v Tonga XIII
Week 1 -
home Team
Kangaroos
1st Position
away Team
Tonga XIII
2nd Position
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Talakai was playing in reserve grade and fighting for his rugby league career when the 2019 upset happened and it was the inspiration he needed to continue pursuing his dream of representing his heritage.
"There's not another jumper apart from the Sharks that I want to put on more than the Tongan jumper," Talakai said.
"Jason's been massive for us. No one would've thought that himself, Andrew Fifita, Sio [Taukeiaho] would sacrifice bonuses of playing for Australia and New Zealand to play for our little country.
"They brought on a wave and the boys from Samoa have done the same thing. It's inspiring for the younger generation to follow that path. Now we want to keep the ball rolling."
Match Highlights: Tonga Invitational v Australia
Talakai's opportunity to play for Tonga arrived in 2022. Coincidentally, his first camp with Taumalolo came just weeks after the hulking forward played a key role in derailing the Sharks season in a thrilling finals clash at PointsBet Stadium.
It's a situation not lost on Talakai as he looks to reverse the result this weekend.
The bigger picture, however, is also on the 27-year-old's mind and he credits the 2022 World Cup as a key moment in his development as a player. If all goes to plan on Friday night, Talakai will turn those lessons against his mentor and friend.
"I learnt a lot at the World Cup," he said. "No matter where you go, Tonga is always something that brings us together. We catch up like we just saw each other yesterday.
"The connection around that squad is something special. Whoever wears the uniform can do something special and I learnt a lot about my culture and the boys.
"Jason's a great leader for our culture and our country and it's always special whenever you get to link up."
