Stacey Jones has hailed the new-found strength of the island nations as the third edition of the Pacific Championships shapes as a fascinating forerunner to next year's Rugby League World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
With Australia not featuring for the first time, New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga will slug it out for the Pacific Cup with PNG, Fiji and the Cook Islands to fight for the second-tier Pacific Bowl silverware.
While the Kangaroos are touring England for the first time since 2003, formidable Tongan and Samoan outfits, laced with more than a dozen ex-Australian and Kiwi representatives, threaten to upstage the three-Test Ashes series in packed stands either side of the Tasman.
Powerhouse forwards Payne Haas, Josh Papalii, Junior Paulo and Jeremiah Nanai are among the stars to have switched allegiances from Australia to bolster a Toa Samoa line-up captained by four-time premiership winner and NSW State of Origin playmaker Jarome Luai.
Addin Fonua-Blake and Eliesa Katoa would be walk-up starters for the Kiwis, but have instead again preferred Tonga after making last year's Pacific Cup final.
The same applies to Tolu Koula, Isaya Katoa and Robert Toia who appear destined to one day be more than good enough to line up for the Kangaroos, but have chosen Tonga.
Samoa will take on New Zealand in the Pacific Cup opener in Auckland on Sunday after the Cook Islands and Fiji kick-off the Bowl part of the tournament on Saturday in Port Moresby.
New Zealand coach Stacey Jones says the defection of Haas from the Kangaroos typifies the spirit in the island nations that could turn the 2026 World Cup on its head.
Australia have won nine of the past 10 global showpieces stretching back to 1975, with New Zealand crashing the Kangaroos' party in 2008.
But Samoa showed, in making the 2021 final, the power was shifting towards the Pasifika sides.
And that was before Haas and company jumped on board.
"It obviously makes the international game stronger," Jones said.
"He's playing for his heritage and culture, and he's passionate about it and making his debut so, look, it only makes for the competition to be very strong."
On the flip side, Jones's New Zealand side features a raft of stars with Tongan and Samoan heritage, including Jamayne Isaako and Isaiah Papali'i, who is tipping Sunday's showdown to be spiced with emotion at Go Media Stadium.
"I was lucky enough to represent Samoa at one stage in my career and that was more for my grandparents who migrated over here," Papali'i said.
"So to be able to represent them was nice and now I have the opportunity to be in Kiwi camp and be a part of this team.
"Growing up here, born and raised here in Auckland, being a Kiwi watching Benji Marshall, Adam Blair, all those players throughout my youth, this is what I've dreamt of as a kid.
"And, now that I have the opportunity, to be here and represent the Kiwis, I could never say no to that and it's always a privilege."
SHARE ME