Moses Leota is relishing the chance to reunite with former Panthers teammate James Fisher-Harris as the Kiwi forwards prepare to go toe to toe with Payne Haas and a powerful Samoan pack. 

The two sides will roll out star-studded forward packs in Sunday’s clash at Go Media Stadium, with the battle up front set to go a long way to determining the victor. 

Leota and Fisher-Harris headline a unit featuring Joe Tapine, Briton Nikora and Isaiah Papali’i. 

Haas will lead a Samoan pack boasting Josh Papalii, Junior Paulo and Jeremiah Nanai. 


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Toa Samoa squad for Pacific Championships

All up, more than two tonnes of rugby league muscle will collide in a high intensity contest in Auckland. 

“It’s always a pleasure to step on the field with my bro [Fisher-Harris],” Leota said. “It’s been a while so it’s good to be back in camp with all the boys.

“It’s a stacked team and we’ve got a big game on our hands but we’ll be up for it.

“You always want to play against the best players and they have some of the best players in that team so it will be a good one.”

The winner of Sunday’s game will take a big step towards booking their place in the Pacific Championships final at CommBank Stadium on November 9.

Samoa boast the weight advantage in both the starting packs and the interchange, with Papalii and Haas each weighing in at 117 kilograms. 

The starting side tips the scales at 649kg, compared to New Zealand’s 607 kg. 

The benches are closer, with the Kiwis rolling out an interchange of 115kg Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Naufahu Whyte, Erin Clark and Phoenix Crossland.


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2023 Golden Boot: James Fisher-Harris

The Samoans, however, maintain a 7kg advantage on the bench thanks to the combined muscle of Chanel Harris-Tavita, Simi Sasagi, Terrell May and Francis Molo. 

Perhaps the best measure of how good the two packs are is the list of players who have not been able to make it into the 17 for Sunday’s clash. 

Scott Sorensen and Broncos gun Xavier Willison are on the outside looking in for the Kiwis, while Ata Mariota is in the Samoan extended squad and Spencer Leniu is unavailable due to the impending birth of his child. 

All up, four players from each side have been celebrated in the Dally M Team of the Year throughout their careers, with Haas claiming a staggering fifth Prop of the Year award earlier this month.


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Standing at the edge of greatness: Haas

The front rower’s decision to represent Samoa rather than Australia follows a trend first started by Papalii and Stephen Crichton and sets the tone for a physical tussle on Sunday afternoon. 

“I was privy to see him play live in Brisbane a few weeks ago,” Samoan coach Ben Gardiner said. “To have a guy like that in the team as a front rower who can play 80 minutes if he needs to is incredible. 

“The inspiration he brings to the people around him, he’s going to bring that to our team and it’s a privilege to coach him. 

“It’s intimidating to coach against him. It’s overwhelming because you know what he’s going to bring and [in the NRL grand final] he brought brilliance and brought things that other people can’t do. I’m looking forward to seeing him do that in the blue jersey.”