Ben Gardiner knows the eyes of the world will be on Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, with the Samoa coach saying the must-win Test against Tonga was “bigger than rugby league”.
A sea of blue and red is expected to pack out the stadium by the time the men kick-off their Pacific Championships match which will come after Fetu Samoa take on the Australian Jillaroos, with Gardiner excited to see how much the international game has grown.
“It tells us international footy’s alive first of all, and it tells us that the Pacific nations are playing a massive part in that,” Gardiner said of expectation of a record crowd at Suncorp Stadium.
“I think it’s important that people look at Tonga and Samoa and go, they’re two rising nations that are coming up through the rugby league world and both teams have worked really hard to put good sides together.
“I think the Pacific Islander communities, not only in Brisbane, but throughout the world, are allowing themselves to see a real spectacle and to have 45,000 people there this weekend; what a way to play the first Test match in Australia for 2025, it’s just absolutely amazing.
“(The fan day at Logan) just provided energy and it’s also a reminder of what we’re here to do.
“Our players and our staff take our roles very seriously and we’re here to do our best to put the Samoan Rugby League forward and build them up and be inspirational to young kids.
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“We saw lots of young kids and families out at the fan day, and it was a great opportunity for them to see those kids smiling and the players to be able to interact with them.
“I think it brings a sense of reality to what we’re actually doing here, it’s bigger than us and we’ve said that a number of times before; it’s bigger than rugby league.
“It’s a worldwide phenomenon, particularly from the Samoan point of view, we’ve got people throughout the world who are watching this and watching this opportunity going, ‘wow’.
“There’s going to be a real spectacle on Sunday.”
Adding to the spectacle is the star power in each team, including Payne Haas, who made his Toa Samoa debut last week in the close loss to the Kiwis.
It was a performance that once again showed why he is considered the best prop in the game.
Playing all but a minute of the match, Haas topped the tackle count with 52 and 194 run metres.
The Broncos premiership winner be counted on again to lead the charge against Tonga in the game his side have to win to be a chance of making the final. Boast a formidable pack of their own led by Addin Fonua-Blake, Stefano Uitokamano and talismanic leader Jason Taumalolo, it makes for a great encounter.
“His performance last week was unbelievable,” Gardiner said. “It’s the type of thing we expect from him now, really, isn’t it?
“He turns up every week, puts his best foot forward, he’s physical, he plays huge minutes.
“We were trying to get him off there for a period to get a rest, and we brought him off and had a rest and then someone got a head knock and you’re like, well, who do we put on that can play the rest of the minutes?
“Okay, we’ll put him back on … we’re lucky with Payne that he brings not only that endurance capability, but the ongoing physicality and resilience to be able to play the whole 80 if need be.
“I thought he was great last week and I’m expecting this week that he’ll stand up in a game against a lot of big solid middle forwards, and the opposition’s got real strength in that area, so he’s going to need to be on his game.”
Tonga coach Kristian Woolf said the rivalry with Samoa that would be on display at Suncorp Stadium would showcase not just the passion of the Pacific nations, but the high standard of play and competitiveness of the teams.
“I think it’s the best example of what both nations bring to the sport of rugby league,” Woolf said.
“International rugby league is in the best position it’s ever been in, there’s no doubt there.
“We’ve got well away from just three nations who are a chance of winning competitions and play each other every year and we’re now a part of those competitions, which is great … we’re a part of that now and we appreciate that.
“I think we’re just starting to show what us as Tonga and what Samoa bring to the international game and 45,000; I don’t think you’ve seen those sorts of crowds, and I’ve got no doubt that our crowd will turn up late as well; so that’ll be big …
“I think that really gives an example of just how important this game is on the calendar.”
