NRL

Canberra Raiders and Samoan centre Simi Sasagi is the latest NRL star to find himself torn between club and country as the 2026 Rugby League World Cup approaches.

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As reported in the Canberra Times, Sasagi has a big call to make following an injury-disrupted 2026 that has seen the 25-year-old miss eight matches — more than a third of the Raiders season.

Struggling with a persistent shoulder problem that has seen him only used sporadically in the past month by Ricky Stuart, Sasagi has indicated he wants to be there when Toa Samoa plays its opening match against France on October 16 in Sydney.

But it’s also clear his NRL employers would prefer he undergoes surgery as soon as possible.

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“World Cup is one of my goals… I want to represent Samoa to the best of my abilities,” Sasagi said.

“But I don’t want to hold them down because I have one arm. If I have to, I’ll get surgery.”

Superstar forward Payne Haas has already indicated he won’t be available for the Samoan squad, instead opting to have post-season surgery on persistent hand and finger injuries to ensure he’s fit and firing for his new club, South Sydney.

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There are also reports man Haas is replacing at Souths next year, Keaon Koloamatangi, is understood to bestrongly considering skipping the World Cup with the Kangaroos to undergo off-season knee surgery before linking with St. George Illawarra in 2027.

They are unlikely to be the last players to withdraw after a long and arduous NRL season.

NRL stars who could skip the 2026 Rugby League World Cup

Other stars with big injury-related decisions to make ahead of the World Cup are likely to include:

• Jahrome Hughes (NZ)
• Phoenix Crossland (NZ)
• Isaah Yeo (Australia)
• James Tedesco (Australia)
• Reece Walsh (Australia)
• Tom Trbojevic (Australia)
• Tom Dearden (Australia)
• Murray Taulagi(Samoa)
• Connelly Lemuelu (Samoa)
• Tolu Koula (Tonga)
• Isaiah Iongi (Tonga)
• Taniela Paseka (Tonga)
• Sitili Tupouniua (Tonga)
• Brendan Piakura (Cook Islands)
• Adam Doueihi (Lebanon)

All have been struggling with serious injuries during the closing rounds of the 2026 NRL season, with several already undergoing surgery.

The 2026 Rugby League World Cup tournament begins on Thursday October 15 when Australia meets New Zealand at Allianz Stadium in Sydney, just 11 days after the NRL Grand Final.

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