While playing for the Hawks, Filipaina was named the best back in the competition in 1977, before winning the Rothville Trophy as player of the year the following season.[6]
Filipaina moved to Sydney in 1980, joining the Balmain Tigers. He spent five seasons at the club, playing in 82 games and amassing 225 points. After a one-year spell at the Eastern Suburbs Roosters in 1985, he played for two years with the North Sydney Bears.[6] During his time in the NSWRL Premiership, Filipaina claimed he suffered from racial abuse and sledging.[7] He later captained Ryde-Eastwood to victory in the inaugural Metropolitan Cup final in 1990.[8]
Representative career
An Auckland representative, Filipaina was part of the Auckland side that defeated Great Britain, Australia and France within the span of 20 days in 1977.[9]
Filipaina was first picked for the New Zealand national rugby league team in 1977, becoming the first junior player from the Hawks to be selected.[6] In 1983 and again in 1985, he was picked for the Kiwis despite playing in the Sydney reserve grade competition. On both occasions, he played a pivotal role in the Kiwis defeating Australia.[10] He was named the man of the series in 1985.[11] He also made six appearances at the 1977 and 1985–1986 editions of the Rugby League World Cup.[6] He eventually retired from the Kiwis in 1987.[12]
In total, Filipaina played in 50 matches for New Zealand, including 28 tests where he scored 108 points.[11] As of 2010, his 108 points places him sixth on the point scoring list.[13]
Filipaina subsequently changed his national representation to Western Samoa, his father's country of origin. He captained the team in the 1988 Pacific Cup,[14] as well as its inaugural test match that same year.[6]
Later years
Filipaina remained in Sydney after his retirement, living in Ryde. He worked the same garbage run the Balmain Tigers helped him get when he first moved to Australia.[10] From this job he received the nickname “The Galloping Garbo” during his playing days.[4][5]
Filipaina was named one of New Zealand Rugby League's "Legends of League" in 2007.[4][15] His biography, The Big O: The Life and Times of Olsen Filipaina, was published in April 2020 and recounted the racial abuse he endured throughout his career.[5][16]
Personal life
Filipaina was the son of a Samoan boxer and a Maori mother. He was born in Kaikohe, New Zealand.[17] He has five children: Louise, John, Alysha, Quin and Jazmine, and five grandchildren: Tamati, Matahi, Ignatius, Kaimana and Octavia. Two of his brothers, Jerry and Alf, are involved in politics in Auckland.[18] Filipaina's son, Quin, played in the Harold Matthews Cup side for the Tigers.[19] Another son, John, was arrested in 2006 and charged with robbery.[20][21]
In mid-January 2022, Filipaina was admitted to Westmead Hospital with a stomach infection. His condition slowly deteriorated and he died of kidney failure on 10 February 2022, 72 days short of his 65th birthday.[22]
