Samoa players celebrate their second try during the 2021 rugby league World Cup quarter-final against Tonga Photo: OLI SCARFF/AFP
There's a scant rugby league history between Samoa and New Zealand on the international stage.
The Kiwis and Samoa will do battle in the Pacific Championship this weekend, marking just the fifth meeting between the two nations.
It was only in 2010 the teams played for the first time, and none of the four previous matches have been played in Samoa.
Considering the impact Samoa has had on both league and union in this country, it's a sad situation.
The Kiwis hold a 4-0 record over Toa, though Samoa came agonisingly close in 2014, going down by just two points.
The result illustrated how much the gap had closed between tier one and two nations.
It's no secret that international league is in trouble, though recent eligibility changes have sparked a resurgence in the Pacific Islands.
Tonga became instant attractions when the likes of Jason Taumalolo, Andrew Fifita and Michael Jennings jumped ship to represent their home country.
Similarly, Samoa also announced themselves on the global stage last year, going on a dream run to the World Cup final, led by Joseph Suaalii, Stephen Crichton and Jarome Luai, stars who would have previously had to align themselves with either the Kiwis or Kangaroos.
The passion the Toa fans showed during the tournament was infectious with Samoan flags proudly waving around the world.
The momentum has continued as Samoa rolled into Auckland this week, mobbed by ardent supporters.
The cult-like following of Toa emphasises what has been lost over years of being over looked and disrespected.
Samoa's international history is a damning indictment of the treatment they have received by the games decision makers.
Toa has played no tier one nation more than five times, with only fixtures against Tonga and Fiji reaching double figures.
It was a similar situation in rugby union, with the All Blacks having limited contact in the south Pacific, while many of the islands top players alingned themselves with New Zealand.
It took New South Wales Rugby League to finally create an international tournament for the islands in 1975.
The Pacific Cup ran just two editions before ceasing for a decade, with Samoa finally entering in 1986.
Prior to this, Pacific players would play for the New Zealand Maori.
It didn't take long for Samoa to make their mark, winning the 1990 tournament with a 26-18 win over New Zealand Maori and making the final in their first four appearances.
It wasn't until 1995 Samoa was invited to a Rugby League World Cup, again making an immediate statement with a 56-10 win over France, who had been involved in World Cups since the inaugural competition in 1954.
This would not prove the catalyst into regular fixtures Samoa would have hoped for, playing just nine times in the five years between World Cups.
Sporadic tests in the 2000s continued, with periods from 2000-2004 and 2010-2013 with no games for Toa.
It's a similar story in the women's game.
The Kiwi Ferns, who played their first test match in 1995, will take on Tonga in a Pacific Nations double header on Saturday.
This will be just the third clash between the countries while the Ferns have also only played Samoa on four occasions.
Debuting in 2003, both Tonga and Samoa have only played a total of 12 and 15 internationals respectively, the same number of matches played between the Kiwi Ferns and the Jillaroos.
It's great to see the islands will finally be given regular international rugby league, but it is a move that is decades too late.
Kiwis vs Samoa history
NZ 50 def. Toa 6
One off test
October 16 2010
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland.
NZ 42 def. Toa 24
World Cup
27th October 27 2013
Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington.
NZ 14 def. Toa 12
Four Nations
November 1 2014.
Toll Stadium, Whangarei.
NZ 38 def. Samoa 8
World Cup
October 28 2017.
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland.
Photo: Michelle Tiang/RNZ
-RNZ
