The 21-year-old halfback has been linked with a return to a Sydney NRL team – and he’s now had his say.
Isaiya Katoa has quashed speculation that he wants to return to Sydney after rumours emerged of a potential return to the Panthers to play alongside Nathan Cleary. Katoa starred for the Dolphins on Thursday night as the Redcliffe-based team consigned the Panthers to a fifth-straight loss.
It came amid rumours the young halfback is looking to return to Sydney, with Daly Cherry-Evans linked to the Dolphins after announcing he’s leaving Manly. Katoa was born in New Zealand and moved to Sydney when he was nine, playing his juniors with Glenmore Park Brumbies before rising through the Panthers system.
But he never played a senior game for Penrith and was poached by the Dolphins in 2023 when they had Cleary and Jarome Luai in their halves. Luai has since moved to the Wests Tigers, and Panthers fans would love Katoa to return home and link up with Cleary in the No.6 jersey.
But the 21-year-old firmly shut down that suggestion after Thursday night’s win. “I don’t know where that chat came from but I am definitely not going back to Sydney,” he said after shining in the 30-12 victory over the four-time premiers.
“I love the Dolphins and playing under a coach like Woolfy (Kristian Woolf). I feel my best footy is definitely played under Woolfy. The trust he instils in me, the only way I can repay it is by playing well so I am definitely not going anywhere. My family love it here and moved here from Sydney. My partner loves it up here as well.”
Cherry-Evans played junior footy in Redcliffe and could be looking to make a return home to Queensland in 2026. But the Dolphins would only likely sign DCE if he was going to play alongside Katoa, not replace him.
Isaiya Katoa confirms State of Origin dream for NSW
While Katoa was born in New Zealand, he’s played seven Test matches for Tonga due to his family heritage. The fact he hasn’t represented the Kiwis means he’s still eligible to play State of Origin for NSW because he arrived before his 13th birthday.
NRL Immortal Andrew Johns has tipped Katoa to be the Blues’ halfback of the future, and the 21-year-old has now confirmed he wants to play for NSW rather than New Zealand. Because the Kiwis are a Tier-1 nation, anyone who represents them at Test level can’t play Origin. But it’s a different story for players who represent Tier-2 nations like Tonga, Samoa and PNG.
“It is great to receive comments like that, especially from someone like Joey Johns,” he said. “As a kid I knew I was eligible for (Origin) and in the back of my mind it was always a dream. What if one day I would be able to represent the NSW Blues? I know that only comes by playing good footy with the Dolphins and there are still so many areas of my game I need to work on.”
Katoa counts Cleary and Jamie Soward as his idols – playmakers who both played for Penrith and NSW. “Obviously, being a Penrith junior, Sowie was there when I was fairly young and I saw his development as a player,” Katoa said.
“Nathan has been awesome as a mentor. I don’t speak to him much but when I do you can tell how calm he is. It is just his presence on the field. One thing I took out of his game last year, when they beat us (28-26) with his field goal after being down by 12, was the only way they got back in the game was because he was on the ball, demanding it and making plays.”
