England will take on the Pacific nation in a mid-season Test Campbelltown on May 6. The match will be both countries only warm-up game before the 2017 World Cup kicks off in October.
While England will have its Super League stars travel down under for the Test, Samoa will not. The likes of Castleford trio Ben Roberts, Junior Moors and Jesse Sene-Lefao, along with Salford pair Junior Sa’u and Lama Tasi won’t be available for selection for Toa Samoa.
Even without them, Samoa will be a formidable opponent. With the change in State of Origin eligibility rules, coach Matt Parish will be calling on Canberra centre BJ Leilua and Brisbane duo Anthony Milford and Josh Maguire. Raiders forward Sia Soliola is likely to be captain, with Parramatta back-rower Frank Pritchard injured.
Others in contention for the side include NRL players Kaysa Pritchard, Sam Tagataese, Junior Paulo, David Nofoaluma, Antonio Winterstein, Sauaso Sue, Tim Lafai, Sam Kasiano, Nu Brown, Leeso Ah Mau, the Mata’utia brothers and Ricky Leutele. Parish believes this team will be “the strongest Samoan team ever fielded”.
The key is being able to call on the services of Milford, Maguire and Leilua. These three are Origin-quality players who can change matches. Milford, in particular, is one of the most skilful, classy operators in the world. He is a match-winner on his day, a bona fide star. “If you can get a couple of good players in your team it can make a wonderful difference,” Parish says.
England hooker Josh Hodgson knows just how difficult Samoa will be. Hodgson played against the Samoans in Brisbane in the 2014 Four Nations.
“I think they’ll be very tough and very competitive,” Hodgson says. “Especially over here, it will be a great Test. I think that’s a good thing for our country that we can get a mid-season Test, it definitely helps to get the boys together as regularly as we can. Getting as many games under our belt as we can is always going to be beneficial for us.”
Hodgson is expecting to come up against his club teammates like Soliola and Leilua in Campbelltown. “It would be a bit different,” he admits. Two very big and very competitive boys. It would be a different playing against your teammates, as it was in the Four Nations last year playing against Jordan Rapana. But you just get on with it on the day.”
The last time the two countries met three years ago England prevailed 32-26 in Brisbane. But the Pacific Islanders almost gave the men in white in almighty scare. Twice Samoa led in the game, at 10-6 and at 22-20, before two late tries sealed the win for England. The Samoans would not lay down and played with plenty of passion and pride on a hot evening in the Queensland capital.
Watch England take on Samoa on May 6:
May 6 will be no different. Samoa are a rising force in rugby league, quarter-finals in the last World Cup and respectable participants in the 2014 Four Nations. They would make history if they beat one of the ‘big three’. Defeating England would be a big scalp. With the Test played in western Sydney Samoa will also enjoy home advantage and strong local support cheering them on.
“There’ll certainly be a massive Polynesian contingent there, I know that,” Parish says. “Playing in any Test match is an honour and a privilege, it’s a big game, but playing England is massive for us. This is a chance to really test ourselves.”
