You've essentially answered your own question. Let $G$ be the units of a division algebra of dimension $n^2$. Then $G$ is an inner form of a general linear group so the Galois action on the root datum will be trivial. But the weight corresponding to the canonical $n$-dimensional representation of $G$ over the alg closure descends to an $n$-dimensional representation over $k$ iff $G$ is split.