"He was a fighter and fought for 16 days in ICU but our heavenly father needed a stand-off for his Rugby League Team, and now he has the best," Alf wrote on Facebook.
He had previously reported that his brother had been admitted to hospital on January 13 with a stomach infection, before deteriorating with a longstanding kidney problem.
Filipaina, a centre/five-eighth, played 28 tests for New Zealand between 1977 and 1986.
