At 31, Jazz Tevaga did not expect Samoan coach Ben Gardiner to select him for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
He had ended a nine-year NRL career with the New Zealand Warriors, followed by a short stint at Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, to join Wakefield Trinity.
Tevaga played a significant part in Wakefield's 2026 campaign as the club beat Warrington Wolves in the Super League final, ending a 58-year title drought.
His celebrations nearly kept him from the World Cup, or at least Samoa's opening group match against France.
He told Code Sports he partied "Saturday to Tuesday non-stop".
"The missus, she wasn't too happy, to be honest, because she had to do all the packing."
Tevaga said, "She literally had to pull me out of the pub because we had the flight [back to Australia] the next day. "So I was almost this close to pulling the pin on the World Cup because I was so stuck in the parade and celebrations over there."
He made it back in time for Samoa's Friday-night match against France.
Tevaga has played 10 internationals for Samoa, including at the 2017 World Cup and in the Pacific Championships.
He said he could not refuse Gardiner's call-up and tried to reduce his alcohol intake.