SUPER LEAGUE and Leigh Leopards stars John Asiata and Ricky Leutele have been included in a star-studded Samoa squad that will travel to the UK to take on England in a historic two-test international series.
The pair – who helped Leigh Leopards reach the Super League Play-Off Semi-Finals for the first time in the club’s history – are amongst a host of big names set to feature for Samoa in the ABK international test series at The Brick Community Stadium in Wigan on Sunday 27 October and AMT Headingley Stadium in Leeds on Saturday 2 November.
Four-time NRL Premiership winner Jarome Luai – who is one of just four survivors from Samoa’s groundbreaking 2022 Rugby League World Cup side that reached the World Cup Final for the first time in the nation’s history – will captain a squad which includes the likes of dual-code international Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Cowboys and Queensland back rower Jeremiah Nanai and incoming Leeds Rhinos forward Keenan Palasia.
Tuivasa-Sheck and Nanai will both feature for Samoa for the very first time, having previously played for New Zealand and Australia respectively. Most recently, Tuivasa-Sheck lined up for the All Blacks during his short stint in Rugby Union, while Nanai represented Australia in the last Rugby League World Cup, defeating Samoa to lift the trophy in 2022.
Elsewhere, highly rated youngster Blaize Talagi will make his international debut this Autumn, while Brisbane’s Deine Mariner turned down the opportunity to play for New Zealand in the upcoming Pacific Championship after pledging his future to Samoa. Talagi – who will link up with Samoa head coach Ben Gardiner at Penrith in 2025 – was a shining light during a difficult season at Parramatta.
Ben Gardiner, Samoa head coach, commented: “This series is an opportunity for England and Samoa to face to face again for the first time since the Rugby League World Cup Semi-Final in 2022. Our squad is a mixture of experience and upcoming talent. We’re heading in a really good direction.
“It’s important that we’re building over that four-year period before the next World Cup.
“We’re expecting to go over there and be in a situation where England are going to really come at us. There’ll be two big crowds – the first is at Wigan which is in the rugby league heartlands in the UK, and then there’s the historic ground of Headingley in Leeds.”
Samoa squad:
Anthony MILFORD (DOLPHINS)
Blaize TALAGI-SEUALA (PARRAMATTA EELS)
Deine MARINER (BRISBANE BRONCOS)
Francis MOLO (ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS)
Gordon CHAN KUM TONG (MANLY SEA EAGLES)
Izack TAGO (PENRITH PANTHERS)
Jarome LUAI (PENRITH PANTHERS)
Jazz TEVAGA (NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS)
Jeral SKELTON (CANTERBURY BULLDOGS)
Jeremiah NANAI (NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS)
John ASIATA (LEIGH LEOPARDS)
Josiah PAHULU (GOLD COAST TITANS)
Junior PAUGA (SYDNEY ROOSTERS)
Keenan PALASIA (GOLD COAST TITANS)
Lazarus VAALEPU (MELBOURNE STORM)
Luciano LEILUA (ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS)
Paul ROACHE (NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS)
Ricky LEUTELE (LEIGH LEOPARDS)
Roger TUIVASA-SHECK (NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS)
Shawn BLORE (MELBOURNE STORM)
Simi SASAGI (CANBERRA RAIDERS)
Terrell MAY (SYDNEY ROOSTERS)
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