A candid discussion with coach Kristian Woolf helped Tui Lolohea understand his prospects for Tonga's World Cup squad.
The 31-year-old missed the 2025 Pacific Championships, while the emergence of Isaiya Katoa and Latu Fainu had put his selection in doubt.
"I just wanted to know if I was going to be in the squad … and when I finally got the call, you know, I was saying to my wife, 'This is probably it'," Lolohea said.
"I just felt so grateful this time to be selected."
Now the Huddersfield five-eighth is preparing for Saturday's semi-final against New Zealand in Newcastle, with a chance to finish his career on a high.
Lolohea and Jason Taumalolo are the only players remaining from Tonga's 2017 World Cup win over the Kiwis, achieved by a team strengthened by the defections of Taumalolo and Andrew Fifita.
That result made Tonga the first tier-two nation to beat a tier-one country.
"Honestly to beat a tier-one team for the first time, like to be a part of history, was obviously amazing," Lolohea said.
He also played in Tonga's 2019 victories over Great Britain and Australia, with the Australia win coming a week after the Great Britain match.
Lolohea said this would probably be his last World Cup, and he has a chance to face the Kiwis again as Tonga seeks another major win.