He's been one of the best finishers in the NRL this season, now Melbourne Storm winger Sisa Waqa wants to end all the speculation: "I'm excited about coming to the Canberra Raiders next year."
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The 28-year-old said he was frustrated by media reports suggesting he would backflip on his two-year deal with the Raiders to sign with French Rugby.
"I don't know where any of this has come from," Waqa said of being linked to French rugby.
"I've signed a deal, I've made my decision. That's official, it's black and white. I always try hard to keep my promises. I've got a family to look after and there's no time for me to go out there play around with this stuff.
"It's just frustrating, especially when I was preparing for a big game [for the Storm] last night. Then all of a sudden all these rumours are in the media and all this bull----."
Waqa immediately called the Raiders when he learned of the media reports. The Fijian winger said he was conscious the Canberra club had already been burned this season, when Wests Tigers' fullback James Tedesco reneged on a three-year deal at the Raiders.
"That's the thing I was worried about," Waqa said. "I thought that's what the club might be thinking, especially after what happened with players that had agreed, signed and all of a sudden they pulled out. That's why I made the phone call [to the Raiders] to make sure everybody's on the same page."
"I just want to make sure I focus here on my job at the Storm, hopefully we make the grand final, then I can't wait to come to Canberra next year."
Waqa is so settled in Australia, his family has applied for permanent residency. His next goal is to buy a home for his family, wife Luisa, and children Ariella, Sonny and Junior.
"To be here is a blessing and that's what I'm trying to fulfil, to settle myself," Waqa said. "I've got three kids and a wife to look after. We're in the process of getting our permanent residency at the moment."
Waqa almost ended up in Canberra in 2009, but in rugby union with the ACT Brumbies.
He signed a one-year deal and passed his medical but, because he'd played international rugby for Fiji, was ruled ineligible because the Brumbies had filled their import quota.
He switched to the NRL with the Sydney Roosters, before joining the Storm, and has scored 42 tries in 73 NRL matches.
Waqa grew up in Fiji playing against ACT Brumbies and Australian Wallabies winger Henry Speight, while his father, Eddie, was a rugby union teammate of Noa Nadruku, before he was recruited to the Raiders. Nadruku was one of the Fijian pioneers in rugby league in Australia, a Raiders cult hero, scoring 73 tries in 92 games for the Green Machine between 1993-97.
"I'm a big fan of the Brumbies and Stephen Larkham and I followed the Brisbane Broncos because of [Fijians] Lote Tuqiri and Petero Civoniceva. Noa was one of my idols growing up too, I looked up to him as a player."
Waqa said he had no second thoughts about joining the Raiders, excited he can add some experience to a young and promising backline.
"It's a good challenge," Waqa said. "One thing I really like about Canberra is the quality, young, talented players they've got at the moment. That's one of the main reasons I signed for Canberra."
"It's something I pride myself on at the moment at the Storm, as a member of the senior playing group and leadership group. I want to help the young boys and I've got the desire and passion to do that."
