To understand why Samoa are being talked about as a genuine Rugby League World Cup threat, you need only look at the combined 20 NRL premiership rings their players have won.
The Pacific nation kicks off its campaign against France on Friday at CommBank Stadium, and does so with more grand final bling than any other nation, including tournament heavyweights Australia and New Zealand.
Best mates Jarome Luai (four), Brian To’o (four), Spencer Leniu (four) and Stephen Crichton (three) have won 15 NRL titles between them, with the former three making sure they were in the stands to support Leniu when he collected his fourth premiership ring in his final game for the Sydney Roosters a few weeks ago.
The western Sydney quartet, according to statistician David Middleton, have won 48 of 59 games, or 81.4 per cent, when they have all taken the park together for Penrith, NSW and Samoa.
Izack Tago has won three titles with Penrith, Deine Mariner collected his one ring last year with Brisbane, while Benaiah Ioelu was part of this season’s Roosters premiership-winning squad, even though he never took the field against Newcastle. Jazz Tevaga also won a Super League title with Wakefield a couple of weeks ago.
To put that Samoa tally into perspective, the Kangaroos have 16 premiership rings, including the four won by Penrith duo Liam Martin and Isaah Yeo, along with Cam Munster and Latrell Mitchell (two), Reece Walsh, Kotoni Staggs, Pat Carrigan and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.
Samoa coach Ben Gardiner said another aspect that could not be ignored was most of the players had featured in the World Cup final loss to Australia four years ago.
“Whether it’s State of Origin, NRL grand finals, NRL preliminary finals, we’re now in position where we have a lot of guys in our team that have played in big games like that, as well as previous World Cup finals and semi-finals,” Gardiner said.
“That puts you in a really good position because at the end of the day success leaves hints … when you’ve been there before, you know what it feels like in a good way, and in a not so good way, which drives you to the next base we want to get to.
“Premierships are premierships for clubs, but the experience players get in those big games, and the feeling it brings when they play in big games, it definitely [benefits us] in games like [Friday night].”
Gardiner witnessed the bond between Luai, Crichton, Leniu and To’o while an assistant coach at Penrith, and said of the four mates: “They’ve been amazing. The overall connection and what they bring, and the love and care they have for each other off the field, it’s really reflected in the whole group.”
As for his pre-game message to Parramatta-bound Leniu, Gardiner said: “Go out and be the best you can. He’ll go out and play for as long as he can. It will be full power, full speed, full physicality in what he does – he’ll go as hard as he can for as long as he can, then we’ll reassess on the back of that.”
Samoa have such depth that Gardiner was able to start Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow at fullback ahead of Storm livewire Sua Fa’alogo. He said the fact Tabuai-Fidow, who chose Samoa over Australia, played deeper into the NRL finals meant his “touch and timing is a bit better at the moment” than bench option Fa’alogo.
“But Sua will get plenty of opportunities to play footy for us, and the plan will be he plays at some stage on Friday,” Gardiner said.
Gardiner has made headlines due to a strained relationship with Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga, who he will succeed at the start of the 2029 NRL season, but elected to avoid any talk about his club.
“At other stages I’m more than happy to talk about the Bears, but we’re here to talk about the World Cup and promote the World Cup, so I’ll leave it at that,” said Gardiner, at the very moment Luai, Leniu, Crichton and To’o drove off and sounded a horn out the front of Samoa’s Parramatta hotel.