Fiji international Sisa Waqa says there's no ill feeling over Semi Radradra's decision to play for Australia, adamant his countrymen are behind him "100 per cent".
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Speaking publicly for the first time since announcing he will leave for French rugby at the end of June, the Canberra Raiders outside back said Radradra had to look after himself and his family.
The Parramatta Eels winger made his Kangaroos debut against New Zealand in Newcastle on Friday night, and his controversial selection has divided public opinion.
Waqa will play his final Test for Fiji against Papua New Guinea on Saturday, ironically at Radradra's home ground Parramatta Stadium.
"We wish him the best, all the [Fiji] boys," Waqa said. "Everyone is behind him and everyone in Fiji will be behind him as well.
"Everyone knows Semi had an important decision to make, as his fellow countrymen we were behind him with whatever decision he made and support him 100 per cent."
A high-profile recruit from Melbourne Storm last year, Waqa has spent all of 2016 playing for Canberra's NSW Cup affiliate Mounties after announcing he will join French rugby outfit FC Grenoble on a two-year deal mid-season.
"Obviously I'm getting to the end of my career now and I need to do what's best for myself and my family," Waqa said.
The 30-year-old would love to force his way back into first grade but knows it's a tough battle, with outside backs Joey Leilua and Jordan Rapana among Canberra's best this year.
"I love playing with those [Mounties] boys," he said. "Obviously, I've played there all this year, at the end of the day I want to play first grade but I'm happy to play NSW Cup. All the other outside backs are going really good in first grade."
Waqa said giving fans in their homeland some joy as they recover from the damage caused by Cyclone Winston in February will be used as motivation.
"We want to play how the people back home deserve and make sure we come away with a win," Waqa said.
"We want to put a smile on the faces of the people back home and hopefully we do that. They're rebuilding now and getting a lot of help from overseas, especially Australia and New Zealand.
"My family's all good. There was a bit of destruction but the good thing is no one got killed or injured."
Waqa will go head-to-head in the centres with Raiders teammate Kato Ottio in a master-versus-apprentice battle on Saturday.
Ottio signed a two-year deal with the Raiders after impressing during pre-season, having come directly from Papua New Guinea's local competition.
The 22-year-old is the NSW Cup's leading try-scorer with Mounties, and Waqa has taken him under his wing.
"He asks me a lot of questions, because when I first came down from Fiji I was in the same position as him," Waqa said.
"I asked him what position he was playing [for PNG] and at first he wouldn't tell me. I'm going to come up against him in the centres and we'll both do our best, hopefully we'll come out on the positive side."
