Rugby League
Kiwis vs Toa Samoa: Where's the Loyalty?
And that's a wrap for Rugby League in 2025, congrats to the mighty Kiwis who put down the passionate Toa Samoa boys in the weekend's Pacific Championship final.
by Cam Schuster I 14th November 2025
I’ve supported the Kiwis ever since Tawera Nikau led the haka against the Kangaroos in those early 90s battles (From 1990 to 1999 the Kiwis won 4 out of 17 matches against the Kangaroos, somewhere a Wallaby is crying). I love the Kiwis, and so do my parents. I remember those nights when my parents would be screaming at the TV when Sam Panapa crossed the line or when Michael Hancock was tackled into touch. Win or lose, it was “Up the Kiwis.”
Up the Kiwis. That was before Jason Taumalolo and Andrew Fifita said screw you, Aussies and Kiwis, we are playing for Tonga, we're coming home. This meant for the first time, legit elite players (in their prime) chose heritage over the big guns, family over money. Kangaroos and Kiwis were left shocked, shares in Tongan flags skyrocketed, and P.I. League fans were inspired.
The 135 Footy Show Podcast
Up the Kiwis. That was before Samoan players took the Fifita and Taumalolo coup blueprint and ran with it, creating a new era in Pacific Island rugby league. (In the NBA the big three of LeBron, Wade, and Bosh formed Voltron at the Miami Heat, LeBron said they followed the ‘blueprint’ of Boston’s big three Garnett, Pearce, and Allen. Inspiration is a beautiful thing.) Now you have Origin players choosing Toa Samoa over Kangaroos, the Championship pedigree of the young Panther boys, Crichton, To'o, Leniu, Tago, and Luai coming through. Finally, both Tonga and Samoa could form teams that could stomp with the big dawgs —Australia, NZ, and England. Samoa flags would enter the market, a great time for Chinese $2 shops, I tell you.
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I know what you’re thinking, Up the Kiwis until the Toa Samoa start looking bona fide aye, you changes guy. Well, yes and no. Between 2010 and 2019, the Kiwis played a total of 50 matches, 4 of which were against Samoa. (Samoa’s 4 losses to the Kiwis during the 2010s hurt as much as Manu Samoa losing to the All Blacks, the heart wants the motherland to win, but the mind says “nah bo, you have a better chance winning Powerball”) In comparison, Samoa played a total of 24 matches, less than half, that’s 26 more times my Kiwis flag has been raised during that decade, also 21 times playing the evil Kangaroo Empire. All I'm saying is back then I supported both teams, and the conflict of interest only happened 4 times in 10 years, so no big deal, if your favourite ice cream is Chocolate Mud but the shop only ever served it 4 times in 10 years, you’re going to get the next best flavour, Goldrush, right? (Tiptop's Chocolate Mud was the most epic ice cream ever, we're talking chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips, and chocolate almonds wtf, Goldrush was orange chocolate chip with bits of crunchie bar sprinkled in, easily the next best thing) While the Kiwis played in annual ANZAC tests and the Tri-Nations (NZ, Australia, and England) Samoa and Tonga rugby league are second tier and played in the Pacific Cup (1974-2009) with the likes of PnG, Fiji, NZ Maori and the Cooks and not so often played against tier one. Kiwis vs Toa Samoa wasn't a thing because of the separation of tournaments, the difference in tiers, and the lack of matches. All that changed in 2019
Up the Kiwis. That was before Taumalolo and Fifita inspired the flood gates to be opened. That was before Tonga Invitational XIII defeated the Kangaroos 16-12. That was before the 2022 Rugby League World Cup. If Toa Samoa did anything to bring a small island nation and its diaspora together and capture the imagination like no other, (not even Manu Samoa had this effect in scope) it was during their 2022 Rugby League World Cup campaign. 685 around the world sings Victor J Sefo, the Parades, the celebrations, knocking off Tonga in the quarters then the greatest win of all (so far) against England, the drop goal that would forever be etched in great sports moments, the jubilation of the boys piling their bodies on top of Critta, Matt Parish in the box ecstatic, Toa Samoa made history and there was no doubt in my mind Toa Samoa over the Kiwis all day.