Brutal Pacific history ready for replay

Nigel Vagana's known it no other way since he was a kid in central Auckland. Samoan versus Tongan, and sparks will fly.

Not just tension.

"Massive tension," Vagana says, with emphasis on the "massive".

And it's not for the faint-hearted.

"I grew up in Grey Lynn and there were always issues with Tongans and Samoans. It got pretty bad at one stage, a couple of dudes got their heads chopped off at the markets," Vagana told NZPA of when the rivalry turned ugly in South Auckland.

"There's been a long history. Even back in the days in the islands when the Tongans used to rule Samoa, they took over and raided it hundreds of years ago. We were at war."

Makes the New Zealand-Australia rivalry seem like pat-a-cake doesn't it?.

Fast forward to last week when Tongan team management went to court in Sydney to challenge the exclusion of former Kiwis Fuifui Moimoi and Taniela Tuiaki under Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) eligibility rules which allow just one nation switch every two years.

Vagana saw red, and fired off an email to World Cup operations manager Tas Batieri, since leaked to the media.

In part, Vagana's pointed prose read: "THEY CHOSE THEMSELVES to leave Tonga last year to play for the Kiwis. End of story. If they play we will kick up a stink ... a big one".

There was no stink required, as the judge excluded the pair until the end of pool play.

The Tongans were enraged, and manager William Edwards labelled Vagana a "patsy" for the RLIF.

So sets the scene for an almighty clash and a certain highlight of the rugby league World Cup. And that's just the pre-match challenges.

Coincidence or not, it's on Halloween night tomorrow at Penrith, way out west under the shadow of Sydney's Blue Mountains.

It's been brewing for most of this year, since the 38-test Kiwis, Warriors, Bulldogs, Sharks and Rabbitohs veteran threw his energy into shaping Samoa in to a dinkum footy team.

Warriors assistant coach John Ackland is in charge, and has nine former Kiwis including Vagana in his lineup. Handy players, all: David Faiumu, Ali Lauiti'iti, Francis Meli, Tony Puletua, Ben Roberts, David Solomona, Willie Talau and Matt Utai.

All but two, local boys Tua'alagi Lepupa and Tupu Ulufale, play National Rugby League or Super League.

The 24-man squad assembled in Apia just over a week ago and Vagana likened it to a national holiday.

It was all on; street parades, gala banquets, a private audience with the prime minister. No pressure.

Vagana played for Samoa in the 1995 World Cup as a 20-year-old alongside Sam Panapa, Tea Ropati, Inga Tuigamala and John Schuster, but it wasn't a professional set-up.

Now, the bar's been raised higher.

"We want to win the cup. That's why everyone's here. It's probably the strongest Samoan team we've ever put together. This is an opportunity of the lifetime that we can put Samoa on the map."

Problem is, only one of Tonga and Samoa can go through to the playoffs, then they face a daunting semifinal against Australia. As if tomorrow needed any more riding on it.

Tonga are more match fit, having been steamrolled by the Kiwis then scraping home over Ireland on Monday.

Vagana said his team's lack of a hard warmup match was their biggest concern, but they were keen spectators at Tonga's match against Ireland.

Extra police are reportedly on standby and well aware things could erupt at Penrith, in the grandstands.

But Vagana, perhaps mellowing in his mid-30s, admits he'd be surprised if there was an all-in brawl on the field.

"It's a big brother, love-hate relationship. I've got some really good Tongan friends and it's one of those brotherly love things.

"You can love your brother one day, next day he's taken your car and he's off, so you hate him, then when he comes back and it hasn't been scratched you love him again.

"I don't think there will be a big stoush. All the boys will be too tired. We're not the best at keeping up our fitness levels, so it'll even out there.

"It's going to be brutal. We all going to play hard, it's going to be ferocious but it's going to be fair. That's the mutual respect we have for each other.

"We're all professional players and we know the repercussions. The last thing we want to do is miss another opportunity to represent our country if we get suspended."

-NZPA