All eyes are on Tonga now, making this a very interesting Rugby League World Cup for their rivals Samoa. Usually it is the usos who are lurking as dark horses and last time around, with Anthony Milford in peak-fullback-Milf mode, Samoa were the team everybody had their eyes on. Following recent developments, that attention has swiftly moved to Tonga and Samoa are the team who will play without pressure.

Immediately, my eyes were drawn to Jarome Luai's selection. Luai was a Junior Kiwi this year, which I highlight not because of the Aotearoa bias but because he was still eligible for Under 20s and finished the season winning both the New South Wales Intrust Super Cup title and then the inter-state title as well. Luai played in the halves on Grand Final day and while Samoa coach Matt Parish will likely go with a more experienced halves combo, it'll be bloody exciting if Luai joins Fa'amanu Brown in the halves.

The more exciting halves combo will be Brown and Ben Roberts, or Pita Godinet. Godinet is the likeliest option for hooker with Jazz Tevaga offering cover there and Joseph Paulo is also a versatile option who can cover a variety of positions. If Parish wants the experience, he'll go with Brown and Roberts, Godinet at hooker and Tevaga off the bench. If he's felling super funky, he'll chuck Luai in for Roberts.

Luai can also play fullback and Samoa aren't super deep there. Peter Mata'utia or Young Tonumaipea will be the first options and Mathew Wright can do a job as well. This will be a be a massive few weeks for Luai to make his case and demand selection; I just wanna see the kid play.

Tim Lafai replaced Tautau Moga and he'll have to compete with Ricky Leutele for a centre spot, while Joey Leilua is a certainty on the other edge. I'd go with Mata'utia at fullback, leaving Tonumaipea, Wright and Ken Maumalo competing for the two remaining wing spots. I'm a fan of Leutele who cruises under the radar in the NRL and teaming Leutele's solid distribution compliments Maumalo nicely.

Trying to suss out their options in the forwards ain't so easy. Sione Mata'utia has been replaced by Frank Winterstein and with Josh Papalii named, they are the best edge forward available. Bunty Afoa will want a run though and Frank Pritchard offers some level of depth, although he's likely to play as a middle forward. 

Samoa's middle options: Leeson Ah Mau, Herman Ese'ese, Sam Lisone, Suaia Matagi, Zane Musgrove, Junior Paulo, Sam Tagataese, Joseph Paulo and Pritchard, perhaps Afoa as well.

With such depth, it's hard not to roll with a grizzly grown-as-man forward pack that we tend not to see in the mid-year Tests. Usually these are full with youngsters, but my strongest Samoan forward pack has Paulo, Ah Mau and Matagi starting, with Ese'ese, Pritchard and then a youngin' in Lisone or Musgrove. A different look could see that last bench spot go to Joseph Paulo - assuming Tevaga gets the utility spot - as Paulo's skill adds some balance to the grunt offered by Ese'ese and Pritchard.

This is highly unlikely, but with Winterstein and Afoa/Pritchard on either edge, Parish could unleash Papalii as a middle forward. Papalii is a top-five edge forward (Graham, Gillett, Cordner, Harris, Papalii) thanks to his size/mobility combo, which would be a nightmare to defend through the middle. You would be taking a top-five edge forward out of his best position though, so it would be very funky to do so.

Samoa may not have the big names, they may not have the headline acts, but what Samoa do have is a solid squad. And gloriously solid, combine that with the expectations being with Tonga, Aotearoa etc in their pool and I'm eager to see what Samoa dish up. They could be the surprise package and I'm sure they'd love nothing more than to 'upset' their Tongan rivals who do have all the big names.

My Samoa top 17...

FB: Peter Mata'utia.
Wings: Mathew Wright, Ken Maumalo.
Centres: Joey Leilua, Ricky Leutele.
Halves: Fa'amanu Brown, Ben Roberts (give Jarome Luai a run g!)
Middles: Leeson Ah Mau, Junior Paulo, Herman Ese'ese, Pita Godinet.
Edges: Josh Papalii, Frank Winterstein.
Bench: Jazz Tevaga, Frank Pritchard, Suaia Matagi, Joseph Paulo.

Peace and love 27.

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