FORMER Wakefield Trinity head coach Willie Poching has spoken of his ‘upset’ following an incident involving his national team, Samoa.
Poching, who departed the West Yorkshire club at the end of the 2022 Super League season after securing Trinity’s top flight status, was invited by the Samoa Chairma Tagaloa Faafouina Su’a to present the Samoan jerseys to the squad following their disappointing 60-6 thrashing by England last weekend.
The former Leeds Rhinos forward was once the captain of Toa Samoa, but was turned away at Doncaster when he tried to access the training group.
And now he has spoken of his disappointment. “I came away pretty upset, I feel like I’d done a lot for Samoa and the jersey,” Poching told the Eden Magnet.
“It is emotional for me and I said to my son who came with me ‘your grandfather would be really disappointed’.
“Dad was one of the blokes who started the team … There is no Toa Samoa right now as we know it.
“I’m still going to support them, that’s my duty to my country … but it does hurt.
“Those boys who walked off the field last week were disappointed.
“I wanted to show them support and that Samoans here still love them and that they can do well in this tournament.”
