SAMOA COACH BEN GARDINER ADVOCATES FOR NRL TO REINSTATE MID-YEAR TESTS

Ben Gardiner during a press conference (Photo: NRL)

According to a report by Fox Sports, Samoa's rugby league coach, Ben Gardiner, has called for the NRL (National Rugby League) to reconsider the reinstatement of mid-year Test matches to provide vital international experience for teams like Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji. The mid-year Tests were scrapped in 2023 to make way for the inaugural Pacific Championships. However, Gardiner believes that Samoa should be given the opportunity to play mid-season matches.

Gardiner highlighted the significance of test matches for his team, emphasising that they need more opportunities to build experience. This experience is crucial for Samoa to compete with established rugby league powerhouses like Australia and New Zealand, whose players have numerous test matches under their belts.

Currently, Samoa is not scheduled to play another Test match for a year, which Gardiner finds somewhat challenging. Nevertheless, he sees the necessity of coming together, accumulating experience, and improving their performance over time.

With the 2025 Rugby League World Cup being postponed for a year and still without a host after France withdrew, a consortium of Pacific Island countries, including Samoa, is expected to bid to host the prestigious event. Gardiner expressed how much this would mean to the Samoan people and the potential for overwhelming support, both at home and globally.

Despite Samoa's tough 50-0 loss to New Zealand, following a commendable performance against Australia, Gardiner recognized some positive aspects but ultimately acknowledged that his team was outplayed by the Kiwis. The desire for more test matches and international exposure remains at the forefront of Gardiner's concerns, with the hope of bolstering Samoa's rugby league presence on the global stage.