Jamayne Isaako (born 5 June 1996) is a professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

footballer who plays as a er for the

Dolphins A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...

in the

National Rugby League The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

at international level. At the 2023 Dally M Awards, Isaako received the Ken Irvine Medal for being the "Top Tryscorer of the Year". He was also the "Top Pointscorer of the Year", and named as Best Winger of the Year along with

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (born 17 August 1995) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a er or for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL) and New Zealand national rugby league team, New Zealand at ...

from the

New Zealand Warriors The Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as the Aucklan ...

. In the NRL, Isaako has previously played as a for the

Gold Coast Titans The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby league football club, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership, Australia's elite rugby league competition. Since 2008, the ...

and on the wing for the

Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Red Hill, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos compete in the National Rugby League (NRL) and play their home games at ...

. At international level, he has played for both

and

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...

Background

Isaako was born in

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

, New Zealand, and is of

n and

Tokelau Tokelau (; ; known previously as the Union Islands, and, until 1976, known officially as the Tokelau Islands) is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It consists of three tropical coral atolls: Atafu, Nukunonu, an ...

an descent. He hails from the villages of Falelatai,

Lalomanu Lalomanu is a village on the east coast of Upolu island in Samoa.The village is part of the electoral constituency (''Faipule District'') Aleipata Itupa i Luga which is within the larger political district of Atua. It has a population of 712. ...

and Lona Fagaloa. Isaako played junior rugby league for the Aranui Eagles.

Playing career

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (2014–2015)

In 2014 and 2015, Isaako played at five-eighth for the

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the Sutherland Shire of Southern Sydney, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. Cronulla compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugb ...

' NYC team. In May 2015, he played for the

Junior Kiwis The Junior Kiwis side represents New Zealand in the sport of rugby league. They are commonly known as the Junior Kiwis, after the native bird of that name. Since 2010, they are an under-20s side, with players selected from the NRL, Intrust Sup ...

against the

Junior Kangaroos The Junior Kangaroos side represents Australia in the sport of rugby league. They are commonly known as the Junior Kangaroos, after the native marsupial of that name. Since 2019, they are an under-23 side, with players selected from the NRL. Th ...

in their 34–20 loss at Cbus Super Stadium.

Brisbane Broncos (2016–2022)

2016–2017

In 2016, Isaako joined the

Under 20's team in round 9. In May 2016, he played for the Junior Kiwis against the Junior Kangaroos for a second consecutive year. In 2017, Isaako graduated to the Broncos

Queensland Cup The Queensland Cup, currently known as the Hostplus Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level regional rugby league, rugby league football competition in Queensland, Australia. It is run by the Queensland Rugby League, Queensland Rugby ...

team,

Souths Logan Magpies The Souths Logan Magpies, more commonly referred to by their former names Southern Suburbs Magpies, or South Brisbane Magpies, or often simply referred to as Souths, are a rugby league football club based in the southern suburbs of Brisbane, Au ...

. During the season, Isaako's form for the Magpies prompted Broncos coach Wayne Bennett to debut him in NRL round 19 against the

Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league team based in Newcastle, New South Wales that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, the Knights joined the top-tier competition in New ...

, starting at fullback in the 34–22 win at

Hunter Stadium Newcastle International Sports Centre, currently known as McDonald Jones Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle, Australia. The ground is home to the Newcastle Knight ...

. This was Isaako's only appearance for the Broncos during the

2017 NRL season The 2017 NRL season was the 110th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 20th season run by the National Rugby League. The season started in New Zealand with the annual Auckland Nines, and was followed by the All Stars Match, ...

. However, he continued in the Queensland Cup and was named as fullback in the Intrust Super Cup team of the season.

2018

In round 1 of the

2018 NRL season The 2018 NRL season was the 111th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 21st season run by the National Rugby League. The main competition, known as the 2018 Telstra Premiership due to sponsorship from Telstra, featured 16 team ...

against the

St George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons are an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League (NRL) since 1999 after a j ...

, Isaako starred as a winger for the Broncos in their 34–12 loss at Jubilee Stadium. In round 3, the Broncos defeated the

Wests Tigers The Wests Tigers is an Australian professional rugby league football team, based in the Inner West of Sydney and South Western Sydney. The Tigers have competed in the National Rugby League (NRL) since being formed at the end of the 1999 N ...

9–7 at

Campbelltown Stadium Campbelltown Sports Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Leumeah, a suburb in South Western Sydney, Australia, owned by Campbelltown City Council. Formerly known as Orana Park and Campbelltown Sports Ground, it is currently the home ground ...

. In total, Isaako kicked four penalty goals, including one in golden point extra time, and a field goal. . In round 6 against the

, Isaako scored his first two NRL tries in the Broncos 27–18 win at

Mt Smart Stadium Mount Smart Stadium, currently known as Go Media Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand. It is the main home ground of the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League a ...

. In Round 11 against the

Sydney Roosters Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club, known as the Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs. The club competes in the National Rugby Lea ...

, Isaako scored two tries and kicked four goals; one of the tries came from nothing after he was pressured from Roosters defenders after an attempt to kick a field goal, so he stepped around defenders in a razzle dazzle fashion and scored a magnificent try to win the match 28–22 for the Broncos with two minutes to go at

Suncorp Stadium Brisbane Stadium (Lang Park), currently known as Suncorp Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Milton, Queensland, Milton, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Nicknamed The Cauldron, it is a three-tiered rect ...

. On 24 June 2018, Isaako made his international debut for

against

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

in the historical test match set in Denver, USA, starting on the wing and kicking three goals in the 36–18 loss at

Mile High Stadium Mile High Stadium (originally Bears Stadium until 1968) was an outdoor multi-purpose stadium located in Denver, Colorado, from 1948 to 2002. The stadium was built in 1948 to accommodate the Denver Bears baseball team, which was a member of th ...

. After showing excellent form for the Broncos in the NRL, Isaako started at fullback during rounds 19–21, and the incumbent fullback

Darius Boyd Darius Boyd (born 17 July 1987) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League (NRL) and has played for Australia national rugby league team, Australia at int ...

was shifted to centre. Isaako showed some success as a fullback but went back to the wing for the rest of season. On 19 July 2018, Isaako extended his contract with the Broncos to the end of the 2024 season, after rejecting a rich offer from the

because he ultimately believed the Broncos offered the best opportunity to pursue his long-term positional goal of playing fullback. Isaako finished his exciting 2018 NRL season with him playing in all of the Broncos twenty-five matches, scoring eleven tries and kicking ninety-seven goals, being the club's highest point scorer with 239 points. On 26 September 2018, at the 2018 Dally M Awards, Isaako received the Rookie of the Year award and his magnificent match winning try against the

in round 11 was named as the Try of the Year.

=International

= On 1 October 2018, Isaako was named in the New Zealand squad for their tour of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

. He played in one match, which was the last of the three matches against England, playing on the wing in the 34–0 win at

Elland Road Elland Road, or Elland Road Stadium, is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the Home (sports), home of Leeds United F.C., Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the List of foot ...

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

Broncos 2019–2022

In the

2019 NRL season The 2019 NRL season was the 112th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 22nd season run by the National Rugby League. The Sydney Roosters became the first team to win back-to-back Premierships since the Brisbane Broncos in 1992 ...

, uncharacteristic errors crept into his game as the Broncos struggled with a 2–6 start leading up to the round 9 Magic Round match against the

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL). The Manly club debuted in the 1947 New South Wales Rugby Football League sea ...

. Isaako as wing and James Roberts as centre were dropped from the team for defensive and handling issues. Isaako returned to his wing spot the following week against the 2018 premiers, the

, and kicked three goals in the much needed 15–10 win at

. In the

2020 NRL season The 2020 NRL season was the 113th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 23rd season run by the National Rugby League. Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 14th consecutive year. ; Notes : : : Pre-season ...

, Isaako played only ten games for Brisbane. Due to his father's death in New Zealand and

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

quarantine restrictions, he was unable to return to Australia and play for the second half of the season. In round 8 of the

2021 NRL season The 2021 NRL season was the 114th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 24th season run by the National Rugby League. Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 15th consecutive year. Regular season Ladd ...

, Isaako scored two tries and kicked five goals as Brisbane came from 22–0 down to defeat the Gold Coast 36–28. At the start of

2022 NRL season The 2022 NRL season was the 115th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 25th season run by the National Rugby League. Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 16th consecutive year. This became the second longest ...

, Isaako played one match and kicked two goals for Brisbane.

Gold Coast Titans (2022)

On 22 March, Isaako signed a one-year deal to join the

for the remainder of the

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...

. It was initially believed that Isaako would sign a short-term contract with Parramatta but instead chose to sign with the Gold Coast club as he wanted to remain in Queensland prior to commencing with the Dolphins for their inaugural NRL season in 2023. In round 10, Isaako scored the winning try for Gold Coast in their golden point victory over St. George Illawarra which ended a five-game losing streak.

Dolphins (2023–present)

Dolphins 2023

Isaako commenced a three-year contract with the

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

, and played in every match that year. Even though the Dolphins did not qualify for the finals, Isaako recorded both the highest number of NRL tries and points in the 2023 competition; a feat last achieved by

Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugb ...

goal-kicking

Mal Meninga Malcolm Norman Meninga (; born 8 July 1960) is an Australian professional rugby league coach and a former professional rugby league footballer. Meninga is widely regarded as one of the finest players in the game's history. He enjoyed a long ca ...

in 1990. In round 1 of the

2023 NRL season The 2023 NRL season was the 116th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 26th season run by the National Rugby League. The season consisted of 27 competition rounds, the longest in league history, followed by a finals series ...

, Isaako made his club debut for the

on the wing in their inaugural NRL game. He scored two tries and kicked four goals as the new club pulled off a major upset defeating the

28–18 at

. In round 2, Isaako kicked four goals in the Dolphins 20–14 defeat of the

at Kayo Stadium. In round 3, Isaako scored two tries and kicked four goals in a 36–20 victory over the

McDonald Jones Stadium Newcastle International Sports Centre, currently known as McDonald Jones Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, Australia. The ground is home to the Newcastle Knights (National Rugby League) an ...

. In round 4, Isaako kicked two goals in the inaugural "Battle for Brisbane" derby at Suncorp Stadium, which the Brisbane Broncos won 18–12. In round 5, he scored one try and kicked two goals in the Dolphins 12–38 loss to St George Illawarra Dragons at

WIN Stadium Wollongong Showground, known as WIN Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Wollongong, Australia. The stadium was officially opened in 1911. From 1982 until 1998 it played host to every home match for the Illawa ...

. In round 6, Isaako kicked four goals and scored his first career hat-trick in the Dolphins 32–22 victory against the

North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest city in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...

Queensland Country Bank Stadium North Queensland Stadium, currently known as Queensland Country Bank Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a Rugby League stadium located in Railway Estate, a suburb of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It is the home ground of the North Queensl ...

. In round 7, he kicked three goals in the Dolphins 14–36 loss to

South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club, also known as the South Sydney Rabbitohs, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra, New South Wales, Maroubra that competes in the Nat ...

at Suncorp Stadium. In round 8, Isaako kicked four goals in the Dolphins 28–26 victory over the

at Suncorp Stadium. In round 9, Isaako kicked five goals in the Dolphins 30–31 loss to the

at McDonalds Park,

Wagga Wagga Wagga Wagga (; informally called Wagga) is a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, with an urban population of more than 57,003 as of 2021, it is an important agricultural, m ...

. In round 10 against the

Cronulla Sutherland Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the Sutherland Shire of Southern Sydney, New South Wales. Cronulla compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league competi ...

at Suncorp Stadium, Isaako kicked six goals for the Dolphins in their 36–16 victory at Suncorp Stadium. In round 12, he scored two tries and kicked two goals for the Dolphins in their 16–24 loss to the Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium. Round 13 was Isaako's one-hundredth NRL game; he scored two tries and kicked five goals for the Dolphins in their 26–12 victory over the St. George Illawarra Dragons at Kayo Stadium. In round 23, Isaako scored a

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...

in the club's 30–28 loss to the

Optus Stadium Perth Stadium, commercially known as Optus Stadium due to sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the Burswood, Western Australia, Burswood suburb of Perth, Western Australia. It was completed during late 2017 and officially opened ...

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

. By the end of the 2023 season, Isaako had scored twenty-four tries and kicked seventy-three goals with a goal conversion rate of 72.3% and a tackle efficiency of 76.9%. At the Dolphins' Inaugural Presentation Ball held at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, he was awarded the Arthur Beetson Medal Player of the Year as well as the Best Back, the Most Consistent, and the Players' Player awards for 2023. At the 2023 Dally M Awards held at

Royal Randwick Racecourse Royal Randwick Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing located in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Randwick Racecourse is Crown Land leased to the Australian Turf Club and known to many Sydney r ...

in Sydney, Isaako was awarded the Ken Irvine Medal for being the "Top Tryscorer of the Year", named as the "Top Pointscorer of the Year" and Winger of the Year.

=International

= In October, Isaako was selected to represent New Zealand in the 2023 Pacific Championships. He finished the tournament with forty-two points across three Tests, including eighteen points in New Zealand's 30–0 win over Australia in the Pacific Championship Cup final at

Waikato Stadium FMG Stadium Waikato is a major sporting and cultural events venue in Hamilton, New Zealand, with a total capacity of 25,800. Four areas contribute to this capacity: The Brian Perry Stand holding 12,000, the WEL Networks Stand holding 8,000, th ...

Hamilton, New Zealand Hamilton (, ) is an inland city in the North Island of New Zealand. Located on the banks of the Waikato River, it is the seat and most populous city of the Waikato, Waikato region. With a territorial population of , it is the country's List of c ...

. Isaako also represented New Zealand in all three of their 2024 Pacific Championships matches. He scored four tries and kicked twelve goals for a total of forty points. File:Jamayne Isaako thumb up 2024.jpg, Isaako in Brisbane 2024 File:Jamayne Isaako with wheelchair fan.jpg, Isaako with fans File:Jamayne Isaako 20 January 2024.jpg, Isaako in Brisbane File:Jamayne_Isaako_laughing.jpg, Isaako laughing File:Jamayne Isaako hold elbow.jpg, Isaako holding elbow File:Jamayne Isaako in the middle.jpg, Isaako in the middle File:Jamayne Isaako NRL January 2024.jpg, Isaako NRL January 2024 File:Jamayne Isaako touch footy with kids.jpg, Isaako playing touch footy with kids

Dolphins 2024 and onwards

In 2023, the Dolphins extended Isaako's contract until the end of 2026. In round 9 of the

2024 NRL season The 2024 NRL season was the 117th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 27th season run by the National Rugby League (NRL). The season consisted of 27 competition rounds, followed by a finals series contested by the top eight ...

,he scored a

and kicked four goals in the Dolphins 28–26 victory over North Queensland. Isaako played every game for the Dolphins in the 2024 NRL season and finished as the club's top point scorer and the second highest NRL point-scorer for that year.

Achievements and honours

Individual *

Dally M The Dally M Awards are the official annual player awards for the National Rugby League competition. As well as honouring the player of the year, who received the Dally M Medal, awards are also given to the premier player in each position, the be ...

:: Rookie of the Year: 2018 :: Try of the Year: 2018 :: Best Winger of the Year: 2023 :: Top Pointscorer of the Year: 2023 :: Top Tryscorer of the Year: 2023 (

Ken Irvine Kenneth John Irvine (5 March 1940 – 22 December 1990), also nicknamed "Mongo", was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He holds the standing Australian record for the most tries in a ...

Medal) *

Dolphins (NRL) The Dolphins are a professional rugby league football team, based in the Redcliffe Peninsula area of the City of Moreton Bay (which is part of the greater Brisbane area of South East Queensland, South East Queensland), that competes in the Aus ...

Arthur Beetson Arthur Henry "Artie" Beetson Medal of the Order of Australia, OAM (21 January 1945 – 1 December 2011

Medal Player of the Year: 2023 :: Best Back: 2023 :: Most Consistent: 2023 :: Players' Player: 2023 *

:: Highest number of NRL tries (24) and points (244) in a season: 2023 Team *

New Zealand Kiwis The New Zealand national rugby league team () has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name. The team's colours ar ...

:: 2023 Pacific Champions

Career statistics

Personal life

Isaako and his partner Abby Sutherland, a former legal secretary from

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, have two children. On 26 October 2018, their son Isaiah Jamayne Isaako was born at Mater Mother's Hospital in

South Brisbane South Brisbane is an inner southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , South Brisbane had a population of 14,292 people. Geography South Brisbane is on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, bounded to the nor ...

, Australia, and their daughter Iylah was born on 23 February 2021.

References

External links

Dolphins ProfileBrisbane Broncos profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isaako, Jamayne 1996 births Living people Brisbane Broncos players Dolphins (NRL) players Gold Coast Titans players Junior Kiwis players New Zealand national rugby league team players New Zealand people of Tokelauan descent New Zealand rugby league players New Zealand sportspeople of Samoan descent Rugby league fullbacks Rugby league players from Christchurch Rugby league wingers Samoa national rugby league team players Samoan rugby league players Souths Logan Magpies players