Marika Koroibete

Coach Dave Rennie said Koroibete needed precious family time before linking with Japan’s Panasonic Wild Knights next season on a lucrative multi-year contract.

“We’ve been discussing it for a while,” Rennie said. “We let him go home a week early during The Rugby Championship. Covid has thrown a lot of curve balls at all of us. Obviously, Marika has been away from home for a long time.

“[His wife] Emma’s pretty isolated down there. They’ve had a newborn baby, and a couple of other young boys. Based on those situations, Marika has chosen not to tour.”

Koroibete did not play in the final test of The Rugby Championship, against Argentina, after being released to spend additional time with his family before the Wallabies’ tour of Japan and the UK.

But speaking to reporters on Sunday from Japan, Wallabies coach Dave Rennie revealed the superstar winger had played his last match for Australia - at least for the forseeable future.

Koroibete's move to the Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby side has left a big hole in the Storm's young backline.

Storm football director Frank Ponissi said that Victorian product Young Tonumaipea, ex-Wests Tigers flyer Josh Addo-Carr and centre Curtis Scott were in the running to fill the vacancy.

Koroibete, who has signed with Melbourne Rebels after his stint in NRL, was included along with Kyle Godwin and Tolu Latu.

If he features in a Test, the 24-year-old Koroibete would be the first player since Tatafu Polota-Nau in 2005 to make a Wallabies appearance before a Super Rugby one.

Centre Samu Kerevi has missed out after undergoing surgery on an ankle injury.

The five-Test tour sees Australia take on Wales, Scotland, France, Ireland and England.