Former Kangaroo Murray Taulagi said he ruled himself of selection for the green and gold for the upcoming Pacific Championships after realising his heart lay with the blue of Toa Samoa.
Born in New Zealand but raised in Australia by Samoan parents, the Cowboys flyer said he found himself supporting the island nation throughout last year's World Cup while he was making his international debut for the Kangaroos.
That realisation led to a tough conversation with coach Mal Meninga in Port Moresby last month, when the 24-year-old explained his preference to instead play for the Pacific nation that Australia had beaten in the World Cup final less than 12 months earlier.
“It was definitely my first preference to play for Samoa. I spoke to Mal about it at the PM’s and he sort of knew where my heart was and how I felt about it so he was very understanding,” Taulagi told NRL.com.
“Both of my parents are Samoan so it's a massive honour to represent my family and our small nation.
“It’s such a good, special feeling to be in this camp and get an opportunity to pull on the jersey.”
Making his international debut as a Kangaroo, the Maroons winger said 'it was bittersweet' watching Samoa’s rise to the Rugby League World Cup final, knowing that he shared their same heritage.
“I wanted to see them succeed but I also wanted to be out on the field with them. So for myself, I definitely watched them and was very proud of the way they went about themselves," Taulagi said.
“Now I’m just very grateful I get the opportunity to don the blue and play with some of the boys that were there last year.
“My parents both very happy with my decision and just wanted me to understand more about the culture.”
Named on Samoa's wing to kick off the international tournament against his former Kangaroos teammates on Saturday, Taulagi said ‘it’ll be a different feeling’ when he lines up in new colours on the international stage.
“I had eight weeks with some of the boys (Kangaroos) in England and definitely made a bond but now I’ve got other brothers here and we've got a job to do so I’m looking forward to the battle,” he said.
“I knew I wanted to be a part of this group and play alongside some of the boys I haven’t played with before so I also look forward to getting to know some of the boys here.
“I’m really keen to play with the Penrith boys, especially Critta (Stephen Crichton) and pick their brains as much as I can.”