The return of international rugby league after nearly three years lost to COVID-19 has given everyone a fresh start, and no one needs it more than the proud men of Samoa.
In a weekend that sees their Pacific rivals Tonga take on New Zealand in Auckland in what is truly a clash of two titans of test football, Samoa will once again try to get something going when they take on the Cook Islands on Saturday in Campbelltown.
There is a way that Samoa ends up joining Tonga along with Australia, New Zealand and England as one of the sport’s top-flight teams, but for this to happen, rugby league’s sleeping giant will need to wake up.
And with Samoa playing host nation England in the opening World Cup match at the end of the season, there is no better time than now for the tide to turn.
“You only have to look at what the Tongans have done for their team to see what football means in the Pacific. We want to make the jersey proud, Samoa is a proud nation and we want to play well for them,” running back Anthony Milford said. .
“It’s a special week. I’m always honored to put on the jersey and I’m always grateful for the opportunity given to me by (coach) Matty Parish and the coaching staff. I can’t wait to represent my people and my family.”
The pandemic years have not been easy for Samoa rugby league, and neither have the seasons that have come before. While Tonga moved up the pecking order, the Samoans stagnated.
They have won just one of their last nine matches, the last time they gave one of the big three trouble was at the Four Nations in 2014, and their last performance was a disaster, a 44-18 loss to Fiji in November. 2019.
In recent years there have also been bitter infighting with former coach Parish being criticized by players past and present.
But Parish, who has coached the team since 2013, survived and has been blessed with a rich crop of emerging talent, even though Samoa have yet to enjoy a wave of Jason Taumalolo-style defections.
For Milford, Samoa’s longest-serving player after making his debut nine years ago aged 18, this is the biggest change he has seen during his time with the island nation.
“When I first came I was the youngest, now I’m the last one left from the 2013 World Cup,” Milford said.
“There’s good times ahead, a lot of young guys who are getting guys on their toes. It’s a luxury to have that competition and Matty gets to pick so many big players.”
“It makes our nation stronger and harder to fight.”
A slew of rookies, led by a Penrith contingent of Charlie Staines, Taylan May, Izack Tago and Spencer Leniu, as well as Manly backrower Josh Schuster, may bring a new dawn for Samoa, who are heavy favorites to dispatch. to the Cook Islands in quick time.
A resounding, feel-good win could be just what the team needs for a restart, which could make the call of home and history, family and heritage nearly impossible to ignore for some of the biggest names in the game. play.
Because it will be far from Campbelltown, across the desert in Perth and over the sea in Auckland, that the best Samoan players in the world will ply their trade this weekend.
Brian To’o, Jarome Luai, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Josh Papalii and Junior Paulo, who have worn Samoan blue before, will play Origin on Sunday night. So will Stephen Crichton and Payne Haas, who are eligible, as is rising star Joseph Suaalii, who is part of the expanded NSW squad.
In Auckland, Samoan graduates Isaiah Papali’i, Ronaldo Mulitalo and Moses Leota will wear New Zealand black and white, as will mountain man Nelson Asofa-Solomona, another player of Samoan descent.
It’s too much to ask that they give up the Origin jerseys and the Kangaroo and Kiwi spots: getting all of them into the World Cup is wildly unrealistic, and Milford says that’s not what Samoa hopes for. They will support their people no matter what they choose.
“It can be tough, but a lot of those guys have been to camp before and they know what it’s like. I know they enjoyed being here,” Milford said.
“It’s up to them, whatever they choose, we’ll support them. If they choose Australia, good for them, if they choose Samoa, we’ll always have a place for them.”
But imagine, for a moment, what it would be like if Samoa only landed a couple of them. They only need a few, because once they get one, more will follow.
Imagine if Suaalii, living up to his reputation as the best young player in the game, plays for the land of his fathers, or if Luai and To’o join their Penrith brothers and elevate the Panthers vibe to another level, or if Haas and Paulo swap one blue jersey for another and give Samoa a package that can match anyone in the world.
It’s a lot to give up, and Samoa can be competitive whether they land those players or not. But they can aspire beyond the competition.
There can be greatness in this team and in this jersey. There is a future where everyone goes home and Samoa enjoy their chances against anyone, anytime, anywhere.
They just need something they can come back to. Something that Tonga has found but that Samoa is still looking for.
It won’t happen overnight, but it can happen, and if it does, it can start against the Cook Islands on Saturday.
Aware , updated