Ivan Cleary might have taken notice at Blaize Talagi’s horror effort in defence on the weekend having let his Penrith Panthers teammate stroll past him during Samoa’s loss to New Zealand. Samoa couldn’t capitalise on their momentum after a half-time lead with New Zealand running away with the Pacific Championships final thanks to some Dylan Brown brilliance.
But Samoa appeared to run out of steam in both attack and defence and Talagi’s poor effort towards the end of the game summed up their final 40 minutes. With New Zealand starting to pile on the points at 26-14, Brian To’o made a rare error on his 20m line and dropped the ball after a Brown tackle.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary (pictured left) might have taken notice at Blaize Talagi’s (pictured right) poor effort on the weekend with concerns remaining over his defence. (Images: Getty Images/Channel Nine)
New Zealand then shifted the ball to their left wing, despite players standing flat-footed due to the disjointed play. But the ball landed in the hands of Talagi’s Panthers teammate Isaiah Papali’i on the edge. And Papali’i nonchalantly swatted Talagi away as he strolled past the young five-eighth towards the line to score his second try of the game and seal the Pacific Championships final.
“That was the straw that broke the camels back,” Phil Gould said during Channel Nine’s commentary. Blaize’s defence improved drastically throughout the season for the Panthers with the 20-year-old never afraid of getting out of the line and making an impression.
Is Blaize Talagi’s defence a concern?
Although his defence might remain a slight concern for Cleary and his effort against Papali’i might have raised eyebrows. While he made 33 tackles across the game, his poor effort with a few minutes left was a worry.
And it continues a trend for Talagi who ended up with the second most missed tackles in the 2025 NRL season, according to NRL.com.au stats. Talagi finished with a tackle efficiency of 81.90 per cent in 2025. He made 484 tackles and missed 107. Talagi’s effort in defence can rarely be doubted, but their is room for improvement. Cleary’s Penrith team often prides itself on defence and their structure. But Talagi’s defence has come under question throughout the 2025 season and the youngster will need to continue to improve this side of his game.
Samoa building to 2026 World Cup
Samoa started so brightly in the final having dominated field territory and possession in the first 40 minutes. However, Samoa seemed fatigued early in the second-half as Brown took over the game with his running as he opened up a tired Samoan defence.
Coach Ben Gardiner claimed he was proud of his side having made huge ground in recent years as they work towards the 2026 World Cup. “We’ve been excited the whole time, and made no secret of the fact we’re working towards getting to the World Cup and putting our best foot forward,” coach Gardiner said after the game.
“I thought this tournament was putting our best foot forward. In comparison to where we were in the Pacific Champs (in 2023) and in England last year, we took major steps forward. But the reality is … to allow 30 points to be scored in the second half, you’re not going to compete in Test matches.”
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 09: Jarome Luai of Samoa reacts during the Men’s Pacific Championships Final match between New Zealand Kiwis and Toa Samoa at CommBank Stadium on November 09, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Stacey Jones praises retiring New Zealand star
New Zealand coach Stacey Jones was thrilled with the win and made sure to praise the retiring Kieran Foran after the game. “These guys know differently for us, they are world-class players,” Jones said.
“What they do in the middle and having someone like Kieran Foran to get the team around the field. The outside backs, there is some skill in there. We went under the radar a little bit, which was good. But you have to take your hat off to Tonga and Samoa with how they go about things.”
Foran was thrilled to have gone out with a win in his final game in rugby league. “It’s hard to believe. The boys dug so deep, I knew they would,” Foran said.
“I wanted to come in here and try and finish on a high. It’s been a tough year (at Gold Coast). But to come here and do it with this bunch of boys, it’s just the cherry on top.”
Blaize Talagi (pictured) missed a vital tackle against New Zealand in the Pacific Championships final.