Felise Kaufusi will take on his former Melbourne Storm teammates for the Dolphins on Friday night.Credit: Aresna Villanueva
This is the moment “the stars aligned” and tempted Felise Kaufusi from a rugby league powerhouse.
When the Dolphins enforcer built his NRL career with the Melbourne Storm, he would marvel at the club’s founding fathers.
Names such as Lazurus, Kimmorley, Kearns – pioneers who inspired the present day juggernaut.
Kaufusi had achieved so much: two premiership rings, State of Origin triumphs and Kangaroos jerseys on his resume.
But aside from desiring a return to Queensland as his father passed away, he wanted more. He wanted to follow those trailblazers into folklore.
Felise Kaufusi in action for the Dolphins.Credit: Getty Images
“That’s all we talked about down in Melbourne; the guys who started the club and their legacy we still talk about, and I’m pretty sure will always talk about,” Kaufusi tells this masthead before challenging his former teammates.
“That’s something not just me, but the Bromwich boys [Jesse and Kenny] wanted to try to create, so that hopefully when our footy careers are done and dusted, the boys can look back at these founding players.
“I don’t play to leave a legacy, I just hope my work speaks for itself. Being a foundation player for the Dolphins is what you will be remembered for.
“It’s a part of history no one can take from you.”
Tough talks nearing amid desire to play on
So engrossed has Kaufusi become by the Redcliffe outfit’s birth, he has declared his desire to play beyond his 2025 contract.
“I’m fresh in the mind and the body is holding up, so I’d love to continue playing as long as I can,” Kaufusi says.
“It comes back to the body and mind, but at the moment, I’m enjoying my footy. Nappies aren’t cheap these days, so I might have to keep playing for as long as I can.
“You can only go as long as your body or mind tells you, and I haven’t got to the point to say I’ve had enough.”
Aggression has been Kaufusi’s trademark.
Yet, it is that physicality which draws the ire of fans who condemn him on social media.
Kaufusi has heard it all before in an 11-year career – vitriol and angst littering searches of his name in the past.
“I know I’ve copped it, and I can cop it,” he says, “it’s part of what we do”.
But Kaufusi faces some difficult conversations, as his children begin to appreciate the magnitude of his career.
At school, classmates clamour for a photo of the 17-time Queensland Maroon, while his son will often ask why he hasn’t scored yet.
But if the 32-year-old plays on, they will be open to the commentary which has followed their father – a foreign realm for most children, which comes with being in the spotlight.
“My kids aren’t on social media yet, so they’re not exposed to it, but this next gen coming through are crazy on the gadgets and the iPhone,” Kaufusi says.
“It’s something I haven’t had to navigate so far, but if I keep going until they’re old enough to have an account they’ll be exposed to it.
“It’s one of those things we’ll have to go through and try work out our best way out of it.”
Honouring his family
Debate has raged about the future of international football since Broncos’ prop Payne Haas revealed he was considering defecting from the Kangaroos to Samoa.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui could follow.
The ability for players to bounce between tier one and two Test nations, while being eligible for Origin, has divided pundits.
Kaufusi, who shifted allegiances to Tonga, sympathises with Roosters star Victor Radley, who – born and raised in Sydney – is in New South Wales’ exile after opting to play for his father’s English heritage.
Felise Kaufusi in action for Tonga in last year’s Pacific Championships final against Australia.Credit: NRL Photos
Kaufusi grew up desperate to play for Australia. But his father, Taniela, never saw him realign with Tonga before his death.
He feels the “pull of my emotions, bringing out how tough” his parents had it, just as he does for his Bundaberg roots.
Pasifika athletes now make up nearly half the NRL. While Kaufusi does not know where to “draw the line”, he says what cannot be lost is the loyalty felt to both sides.
“I’d be so disheartened, or for another person coming through who grew up in Queensland, to not be eligible because they’ve played for their mother country,” Kaufusi says.
“What’s right and wrong? Growing up it was a dream to play for Australia, but also to represent my family and where they’ve come from.”
Felise Kaufusi
“I still have that sense of belonging and pride for my state. But then I get drawn to the Tongan side, and it’s the same feeling I get pulling on the Origin jumper.
“It’d be hard if kids coming through now have to pick who to play for, or if they ever do it for Queensland or New South Wales, won’t be able to play for Tonga, Samoa or Fiji.”
The task ahead
Kaufusi jokes of disappointment he will not be able to make a beeline for the retired Christian Welch on Friday night, instead eyeing a shot at “cheeky bugger” Cameron Munster.
“I’ll have to get him on the golf course,” he quips.
Kidding aside, Kaufusi knows he must keep his emotions in check.
The first time he battled the Storm, he was sin binned within two minutes for a high shot on Welch, and suspended for three games.
Felise Kaufusi gets his marching orders.Credit: NRL Photos
After four straight defeats, wins against the Titans and Panthers revived their 2025.
But against the premiership favourites, who they have never conquered, they can announce themselves a genuine threat.
As Kaufusi says: “There’s no better team to play to get a gauge of where you’re at than the Melbourne Storm.”
