"I just had to bite the bullet with what everyone was saying about my timing.". "Being drunk and handling phones doesn't go to well if you ask me. "Obviously the timing was one of them (regrets). "Half the reason was because I was still blind on Mad Monday then so that probably didn't help," Taumalolo said. Vaai "Jason" Taumalolo (born 31 May 1993) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a lock for the North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL.He has played for Tonga and New Zealand at international level.. Taumalolo played for the NRL All Stars and he was a member of the Cowboys' 2015 NRL Grand Final and 2016 World Club Challenge winning sides, and won the Dally M Medal in 2016. A few of the leadership group thought what better way for me to play my country of birth than to lead the Sipi Tau. "We exchanged a few words. He hails from Auckland, New Zealand. Obviously the timing of was a bit late but didn't want to distract my preparation leading into finals footy for the Cowboys. "I took it as another game of footy, that's all it was to me. Knowing his decision would spark a media storm, Taumalolo says he declined to reveal his intentions in the weeks leading up to the World Cup squads being confirmed, saying he wanted to remain focused on the Cowboys finals tilt. "Nothing's personal to me. JASON Taumalolo is living life in the fast lane following his $10 million signing with the North Queensland Cowboys, making time to spend at home with partner Liana and fur-child Theo even more precious. Jason Taumalolo’s status as the top forward in rugby league remained unchallenged in 2018 after yet another outstanding season by the North Queensland Cowboys lock. Firstly, he played for the Papakura Sea Eagles before joining the De La Salle College team along with his older brother, Warner.Afterward, Jason attended Kirwan State High School and played for the team Kirwan Bears and Townsville Brothers. The 25-year-old Tongan wrecking ball led all forwards in both running metres with 4104 in 23 games and post-contact metres with 1743 at an average of 77 per game. "The main part for me wasn't that I made it personal but it was a pretty emotional game playing against the country I was born in.". "It wasn't my decision. The 24-year-old broke his silence and finally explained his thinking behind his decision to turn his back on the Kiwis to represent the Pacific Island side following Tonga's stunning 28-22 upset victory over New Zealand in Hamilton. The couple recently celebrated their one-year anniversary at Brookstone on the Park in Condon, where they built their first dream home together. Cowboys player Jason Taumalolo and his girlfriend Liana Lariva matched each other in jet black outfits, with Liana's green earrings the statement piece . Jason (/ ˈ dʒ eɪ s ən / JAY-sən; Greek: Ἰάσων, translit. ", As it happened: Tonga comeback stuns Kiwis, Tonga stun Kiwis with second half assault to take victory, CCTV captures Kiwi cop saving woman from AFL player's brutal attack, Two new faces in All Blacks squad for Rugby Championship, 'It's like James Bond out there': Jimmy Spithill's America's Cup predictions, How Trump ploughed through $1.52 billion, losing cash advantage, Police appeal for sightings of van involved in motorcycle crash, One dead and two injured in East Auckland house fire. She felt contractions on a Friday evening in 2010, but the baby didn't arrive until the next afternoon. "I thought it was fair enough on my behalf. "I was a bit nervous at the time but its an opportunity I'll probably never get again. And Taumalolo's first game will forever be tied to Amos and his wife Hannah's first child, Finn. And Taumalolo's first game will forever be tied to Amos and his wife Hannah's first child, Finn. The world's best forward was slammed for leaving the Kiwis in the lurch after announcing he would play for Tonga just 48 hours before Kidwell announced his 24-man squad and was accused by Kiwis captain Adam Blair of disrespecting the black and white jersey by failing to front up and explain himself. "Post-season celebrations were probably one of the reasons I had to make my decision and obviously teams were being finalised so that was probably the main reason why. Tongan star Jason Taumalolo says he was too drunk to answer desperate calls from Kiwis coach David Kidwell after he made the shock decision to switch allegiances for the Rugby League World Cup. His senior role in a younger Cowboys’ forward pack bounds to settle more moneymaking schemes. "Kiddy's been a great coach for New Zealand throughout the World Cup and I just wish him all the best for the rest of the tournament.". It’s predictable that Jason Taumalolo’s net worth escalates above $1 million as of 2020. "I definitely could have handled it a lot better, that's probably the biggest (regret).". The North Queensland lock admitted he had regrets about the way the drama unfolded but revealed he was too intoxicated to even think about picking up the phone as he enjoyed the excesses of the Cowboys celebrations following their grand final defeat to Melbourne. "I don't take drugs and I don't condone it either so I stand by his decision.". Jason Taumalolo began playing rugby at the age of four. Jason Taumalolo’s status as the top forward in rugby league remained unchallenged in 2018 after yet another outstanding season by the North Queensland Cowboys lock. Tongan star Jason Taumalolo says he was too drunk to answer desperate calls from Kiwis coach David Kidwell after he made the shock decision to switch allegiances for the Rugby League World Cup. The pair finally had the chance to speak in the moments after fulltime at Waikato Stadium, with Taumalolo issuing an apology to his former coach. It set the tone for a fierce opening to the match, after Blair led the Kiwis haka as they advanced over halfway to confront the opposition. "I knew there'd be a lot said on paper and a lot of people talking and I didn't want that to get in the way of my preparation. That's got me in some pretty bad situations. The Auckland-born destroyer also dispelled rumours he had abandoned the Kiwis in protest of Kidwell's decision to ban former test captain Jesse Bromwich and back-rower Kevin Proctor, after they were caught using cocaine in the early morning hours following New Zealand's Anzac test defeat to Australia in Canberra. Iásōn, Ancient: [i.ǎːsɔːn], Modern: ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. 98.2k Followers, 990 Following, 104 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Jason Taumalolo (@jason.taumalolo) Vaai "Jason" Taumalolo (born 31 May 1993) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a lock for the North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL.He has played for Tonga and New Zealand at international level.. Taumalolo played for the NRL All Stars and he was a member of the Cowboys' 2015 NRL Grand Final and 2016 World Club Challenge winning sides, and won the Dally M Medal in 2016. The 25-year-old Tongan wrecking ball led all forwards in both running metres with 4104 in 23 games and post-contact metres with 1743 at an average of 77 per game. Their three-bedroom, two bathroom home, … She felt contractions on a Friday evening in 2010, but the baby didn't arrive until the next afternoon. He came under fire again in the lead-up to today's match after refusing to speak to local media over the last fortnight since Tonga arrived in Auckland two weeks ago. I stayed relaxed, did a bit of go-karting through the week and got my time down so that was probably the best part of the week's preparation. Talented Taumalolo started his professional rugby career with Cowboys NYC team, North Queensland. Age: At present, Jason Taumalolo’s age is 26 years old, born on May 31, 1993. JASON Taumalolo is living life in the fast lane following his $10 million signing with the North Queensland Cowboys, making time to spend at home with partner Liana and fur-child Theo even more precious. "I'm totally behind Kiddy's decision," he said. There’s more to Jason Taumalolo wiki-bio. The outrage did little to faze the 113kg powerhouse, who said he enjoyed a laidback build-up to the Pool B showdown by shortening his go-karting record. Taumalolo, 24, was forced to spend the night in a hotel and catch a flight the next day. Back in black! While both sides did their best to hose down suggestions of lingering tensions over the last week, Taumalolo surprised the capacity crowd pre-game when he led the Tongan side's rendition of their Sipi Tau war cry.