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World Cup semi-finalists England will look to kick start their 2014 Four Nations campaign against wildcard warriors Samoa at Suncorp Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 5:00pm (AEDT).
How have you been occupying yourself since October 5th? Been having long cold showers with your clothes on? Realising that you have been buttering the same piece of toast for three hours and have now missed your train? If you, like me, are suffering severe withdrawals hold your head high – International Rugby League is here.
England have long been perennial contenders, always the Bridesmaid and never the Bride, always good enough to challenge the Kangaroos and Kiwis, but rarely triumph. The 2013 World Cup semi-finalists and 2011 Four Nations runner-up will be looking to go one better this iteration, and may have as good a chance as ever.
Facing them first up will be a hungry and passionate Toa Samoa team who qualified for the tournament by defeating fierce rivals Fiji 32-16 earlier in the year.
Running out for the first time in a Four Nations tournament, Samoa will look to cause a considerable upset coming into the game as huge outsiders. As said many times before, odds mean nothing to the players, they will mean even less to The Samoans.
England have a strong smattering of elite NRL players, along with the best of the English Super League. They boast easily the most impressive bookends of the tournament, with George Burgess and James Graham amongst the best of the best.
Coupled with a dangerous backline and classy five eighth Gareth Widdop, who clocked 20 try assists and 21 line break assists in 2014, England are a dangerous prospect. Gritty yet glamourous Graham will captain the side, with tour captain Sean O’Loughlin out with a strained quad.
Samoa have a strong yet not spectacular team. They boast a strong forward pack with the likes of Sam Tagatese and Frank Pritchard more than capable of running rampant.
Additionally a very solid black line including Joseph Leilua and Antonio Winterstein may cause England some strife on the edges.
Where Samoa suffer the most significant weakness is their halves. Halfback Kyle Stanley is a fringe first grader who seems perennially injured, but has shown promise over his career.
Whilst Ben Roberts is the behest of many jokes and criticisms, he is a decent enough footballer, but compare him to Foran, Cherry Evans and Widdop and it becomes a scary reality for Samoa.
Samoa will be with out Tautau Moga, Reni Maitua and Sauaso Sue, who remain under investigation by the NRL Integrity Unit following an incident at a Brisbane nightspot last week.
These two sides will meet for the first time in an official Test match.
Expect Samoa to put in an admirable fight, it may even be a close battle, but even their best efforts shouldn’t be enough to overcome an English side who have size, skill and big game experience.
Prediction: England by 16 points.
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