Four Nations surprise packets Samoa have been underestimated from the beginning of the tournament says coach Matt Parish as they attempt to topple world champions Australia and earn a spot in next week’s final.
Samoa have shocked the rugby league world with their efforts in the tournament so far, a 32-26 loss to England followed up by a heartbreaking last-minute 14-12 defeat to New Zealand.
In the process, Samoa have emerged as an international force ahead of Sunday’s final-round match against Australia in Wollongong.
“We have played well. I think the media underestimated the calibre of player we had in the squad but I always thought, if we got a bit of continuity together, we could play well,” Parish said.
“Consistency is probably not a word you associate with a lot of Pacific Islanders and that is what we have tried to bring out in this group, particularly at training and carried on into the game.
“We just need to turn up and play well and, if we can do that, we will be very competitive against Australia.”
Parish identified stopping Australian captain and hooker Cameron Smith and fullback Greg Inglis as crucial in any effort to get the better of the Kangaroos.
“They are a mighty team – it doesn’t matter which way you look at it,” Parish said.
“When we came into the competition, I must admit I wasn’t sure what to expect but, after how we did in the World Cup, I thought we could improve on those performances and we have some good players in there.
“The preparation has been good for all three games and I’m hoping we can improve on what we did last week. We will be really competitive against Australia.”