RNL 2025, Isaiya Katoa, Pacific Championships, Tonga, Allan Langer

Author: Cameron Mee NRL Reporter
Timestamp: Tue 21 Oct 2025, 06:01 AM

Queensland legend Allan Langer has backed Isaiya Katoa to join the game's great halfbacks as he launches Tonga's bid for Pacific Championships glory.

The emerging playmaker is set to take centre-stage on Sunday afternoon when Tonga play Samoa in front of more than 40,000 fans at the famed Brisbane venue.

It's a ground both Katoa and Langer know well, with the latter tormenting opposition defences throughout the 1990s for the Broncos, Maroons and Kangaroos.

Isaiya Katoa is a freak!

Katoa is following in his footsteps, albeit in a different jersey at club, state and international level.

Langer, however, did not hesitate to heap praise on the Dolphins star ahead of Sunday's clash.

"He's a special talent," Langer told NRL.com. "I haven't seen too many young halves play as well as he has at such a young age. I'm sure we'll see a lot more of him throughout his career.

"He puts players around him on his inside and outside and puts pressure on his defender to make a decision. Like any good halfback he carries the ball in two hands and is impressive to watch.

"He's very mature for a young player. It's not just his attack, he's a great defender, kicks well and has a good overall game."

Round 2 - Round 2 - Sunday 26 Oct

5:00 am

Tonga XIII

Toa Samoa

Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

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Tonga had the luxury of the bye last weekend as New Zealand edged Samoa 24-18 in a thriller at Go Media Stadium.

The result makes Sunday's clash a must-win for Ben Gardiner's side as they battle to keep their Pacific Championship hopes alive.

While he is just 21 years old, Katoa has already proven he belongs in the international arena. The halfback kicked the winning field goal to lead Tonga to a stunning upset victory over New Zealand in Auckland last year.

The winning moment: Katoa

The youngster then took his game to another level throughout the NRL season, with the Dolphins narrowly missing out on a maiden finals berth.

Katoa's performance saw the plaudits stack up, with a host of former greats rushing to praise the playmaker.

"It's pretty special what he's been doing," Panthers legend Greg Alexander said. "Nathan [Cleary] at that age was doing some special things and Isaiya's on that same path.

"One of the primary skills for a halfback in the modern game is to be able to go to the line and stop the defence, have the defence in two minds about what's happening. Isaiya's deception and ability to slow defences down, have them not sure what's going to happen, I haven't seen someone as young do it as well as Isaiya.

"They don't know whether he's playing inside or outside. He has a level of confidence and if he's got ball runners around him he'll make the right decision."

Kiwis v Toa Samoa - Round 1, 2025

With Katoa set to orchestrate the Tongan attack, Samoa will spend the week poring over the footage to identify ways to neutralise the halfback.

Ben Gardiner's side is sure to send multiple waves of attacking traffic down Katoa's channel, forcing him to do plenty of defensive work and tiring him out.

On the other side of the ball, some clubs enjoyed success throughout the NRL season by rushing up and putting pressure on the halfback the moment his hands touched the ball.

The Sharks Round 19 win over the Dolphins stands out as a clear example. With five-eighth Kodi Nikorima injured, the Sharks were able to target Katoa and limit his time and space.

Sharks v Dolphins – Round 19

The strategy worked for 66 minutes before the halfback adjusted and triggered a late comeback that ultimately fell short.

Samoa will likely adopt a similar strategy at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon but Alexander warned Katoa will have a back-up plan to counteract the defensive strategy.

"They rushed him and they jammed in tight," Alexander said. "That doesn't always work but the Sharks did it very well that night.

"A number of sides try to jam and the Sharks made sure they went to the right person. They didn't always shut Isaiya down but they rushed him like we haven't seen much this season.

"Once they made the decision to rush in, they made sure the tackle stuck, they didn't get sidestepped and weren't beaten by the pass. It was very good by the Sharks but it's not an easy thing to do. Really good players can create their own time and that's what Isaiya does."