Seven weeks ago, he was axed. Now, at 20, he holds the hope of a nation

Had Tonga coach Kristian Woolf not trusted his gut at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, Isaiya Katoa may not be the player he is today.

Now, the 20-year-old halfback has been tasked with orchestrating a Kangaroos’ boilover – just seven weeks after being axed for the Dolphins’ last-ditch finals bid.

“It’s funny, we were watching the highlights this morning of the World Cup, and he literally was a kid at that stage. I hadn’t met him face-to-face until he walked through the door at a motel in London,” Woolf recalled.

Isaiya Katoa has been tasked with guiding Tonga against the Kangaroos on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium.Credit: NRL Photos

“I just remember the very young, boyish face he had – still a bit chubby-cheeked – and looking at those pictures this morning, how much he’s grown physically, he looks like a man now and an NRL player.”

Katoa had already arrived at Redcliffe from the Panthers before the World Cup; however, his performances thrust him straight into the NRL.

Woolf noticed the way he trained before the tournament and threw him into the furnace. He went on to play three games, finishing with two tries, two try-assists and three linebreak assists.

But despite forging a promising halves combination with Kodi Nikorima this year, Katoa was replaced by Sean O’Sullivan for the final two games of the NRL campaign – playing off the bench in the 40-6 win over the Broncos, before missing the season-ending loss to Newcastle.

But Woolf, who will take the reins of the Dolphins following Wayne Bennett’s departure, believed it was Katoa’s performance against his former Penrith club – in which he scored a try and set up another, before opting against a field goal in a costly move – which proved he had the tools to dismantle Australia.

“I’ll never forget the Penrith game, going back to where he grew up and where he came through as a junior, playing against Nathan Cleary, he probably gets remembered for not taking a shot at field goal,” Woolf said.

“But if you look at the other 75 minutes, he was one of our best players in a game that emotionally would have been really challenging for him.

“That shows how much he’s grown, it shows his maturity and I think he’s really ready for this stage.”

Signed until the end of 2028, Katoa is clearly highly regarded as the Dolphins’ long-term maestro.

However, revelations Dragons captain Ben Hunt has been granted permission to test the open market has thrown a spanner into 2025 planning – with a Queensland homecoming reportedly the preferred option.

But Woolf said, “hand on heart”, no conversations with the Maroons star had taken place.

“We’re always interested in talking to talented players, and Ben Hunt’s a talented player. But that conversation hasn’t happened at the moment, and I’m not really interested in talking about what he might change or anything else,” Woolf said.