November 7, 2025 • 6 mins
A major game of international rugby league is on the horizon. Tomorrow afternoon the Kiwis and Toa Samoa face off in the grand final of the Pacific Championships in Sydney.
After a dominant display over Tonga last weekend, winning 40-14, the Kiwis will look to build on that performance as they take on Samoa again.
D'Arcy spoke with Kiwis prop Moses Leota to preview the match.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk sedb Our.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
First focus is going to be on International Rugby League
tors Moore up against the Kiwi and the Pacific Championship
final in Sydney and forget even though the tongue and
crowd won the game last week, the team didn't. The
Kiwi got the job done, but it was pretty close
up against Sarma. A couple of weeks beforehand it was
(00:35):
twenty four eighteen victory at Mount Smart, so we now
fully focused on what happens with the final. Moses Leoti
is a prop for the Kiwi, plays with the Penworth
Panthers in the Ral and he's with us now to
preview the match. Gooday, Moses, good now, thanks for joining us.
(00:55):
It's a big night or evening tomorrow taking on Tors
Sarma for the title the Pacific Championship. You're a former
I'm on RIP. How does this set with you?
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Since well, it's going to be a good, good game
and one i'm excited for.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Do you don't feel any guilt or a pang of
I'm on the wrong team?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
No, not really. Bo I made my choice and I've
committed to the to the qwis and yeah that's where
my heart is. Hearts out right now.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
You settle Born, you went over to see what early
teens you disappeared off to Australia, which worked well for
you because you're coming up what a decade now playing
for Peenworth Panthers. You've got four titles signing as well.
So it was a good move from your folks, wasn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Yeah, it was it was. It was only supposed to
be a holiday at first, and loved to hear that
I ended up staying, So I made the right choice.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
What pushed them over the line from a holiday to
staying there full stop? Is it that good? Was he?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Oh? I was a young fellow and when I come
over it was I love how I was and her
everything around here, so I sort of just wanted to
stay and yeah, never looked back.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
You've got the black jersey with the white V. That's
the important thing. It's an unchanged team taking on tour Sama,
which reflects well on what you guys achieved against Tongue
last week that there must be areas you can lift.
What have the coaching staff been sharing with you about
where they're expecting more in this confrontation.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
I think you can always get better each game. It
doesn't matter if it's little incremental gains. But I think
just just doing our job. I think the coaches have
been driving bad and if we do that, it'll give
us a big chance on winning the game.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
As far as the someone in threat, you've got to
be wary of who they've got because over the years,
the someone teams, the tongue teams are getting stronger and
stronger because more guys are going back to represent the
home of their fathers. So when you look at Samoa,
is there any area you go, hey, there could be
trouble right there.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
To be honest, not really like their forward pack is
one of the best Ford packs, especially having pain hust
there as well, and their edges are strong and they
can both carry and defend well. So it's going to
be a tough one for us on the weekend and
see how we go.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
When you look at the makeup of the side you've
mentioned a couple of players already, you'd have reasonably decent
relationship with a lot of these guys from your NRL days.
How much does that add to the competition on the
on the day.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Oh yeah, as footballers were massive competitors and we like
to get one over our friends and our training. Yeah,
it's a massive one. So we all want to have
breaking rights and hopefully I'll be the one breaking.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
We'd like to think, so we want that. How do
you feel about this game being played in Australia? It's
in New Zealand, big Sumi, shouldn't it be an Auckland.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Bro Look to be honest, I don't. I don't care
where we play as long as you know, yeah, that's
where we played. That's that's where we play.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Yeah, and as long as you get your biscuits, as
long as you get the cookie. So they tell us
about Stacy Jones and the way he's operating. Has he
been an enjoyable coach to play on it.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
He's a lot different than marg He's more calmers good
for us as well. Stacey's different in how he, you know, coaches,
He's more calm and just just nice and mellow.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
The game against Dongo last week astonishing for the crowd
and the crowd alone. This always happens with Tonga. Are
they possibly the best fans in rugby league? Do you think, Moses?
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Yeah? They're up there. I've played a game before against
the tongue of crowd and that have to be up
there number one for me, because like their crowds are
really good crowds, and they sing throughout the whole game,
and the energy is just different.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
That's the best reason to go to those games is
the tongue and crowd. I keep going on about this
in the ra dio, but I firmly believe it. I
wish every crowd behave like that with the hymns. That
it must be hard not to get carried away with
it when they start singing. Maybe drop it and send
join in as well. Moses.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Yeah, we were just going to stay focused there and
not let the crowd get to you or us. And
like I said before, Top.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
After the end of a of a long and ultimately
unsuccessful season, has your engine, how your legs? How are
you feeling going into this very last game, because you
get you spent a lot of time getting crunched in
the middle.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Moses, Yeah, bodies feeling feeling good. You know, if you
look after your body, your bodies feels good towards the
back end. And yeah, like I said, I'm feeling good.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Looking forward to it hugely, so it's a wonderful team.
It's unchanged. There's some absolute weapons out there and you
are one of them. Moses Liota, thank you so much
for your time. You play hard, play fair, play well.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Thanks mother, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with dust T Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set B on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk sedb Our.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
First focus is going to be on International Rugby League
tors Moore up against the Kiwi and the Pacific Championship
final in Sydney and forget even though the tongue and
crowd won the game last week, the team didn't. The
Kiwi got the job done, but it was pretty close
up against Sarma. A couple of weeks beforehand it was
(00:35):
twenty four eighteen victory at Mount Smart, so we now
fully focused on what happens with the final. Moses Leoti
is a prop for the Kiwi, plays with the Penworth
Panthers in the Ral and he's with us now to
preview the match. Gooday, Moses, good now, thanks for joining us.
(00:55):
It's a big night or evening tomorrow taking on Tors
Sarma for the title the Pacific Championship. You're a former
I'm on RIP. How does this set with you?
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Since well, it's going to be a good, good game
and one i'm excited for.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Do you don't feel any guilt or a pang of
I'm on the wrong team?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
No, not really. Bo I made my choice and I've
committed to the to the qwis and yeah that's where
my heart is. Hearts out right now.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
You settle Born, you went over to see what early
teens you disappeared off to Australia, which worked well for
you because you're coming up what a decade now playing
for Peenworth Panthers. You've got four titles signing as well.
So it was a good move from your folks, wasn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Yeah, it was it was. It was only supposed to
be a holiday at first, and loved to hear that
I ended up staying, So I made the right choice.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
What pushed them over the line from a holiday to
staying there full stop? Is it that good? Was he?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Oh? I was a young fellow and when I come
over it was I love how I was and her
everything around here, so I sort of just wanted to
stay and yeah, never looked back.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
You've got the black jersey with the white V. That's
the important thing. It's an unchanged team taking on tour Sama,
which reflects well on what you guys achieved against Tongue
last week that there must be areas you can lift.
What have the coaching staff been sharing with you about
where they're expecting more in this confrontation.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
I think you can always get better each game. It
doesn't matter if it's little incremental gains. But I think
just just doing our job. I think the coaches have
been driving bad and if we do that, it'll give
us a big chance on winning the game.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
As far as the someone in threat, you've got to
be wary of who they've got because over the years,
the someone teams, the tongue teams are getting stronger and
stronger because more guys are going back to represent the
home of their fathers. So when you look at Samoa,
is there any area you go, hey, there could be
trouble right there.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
To be honest, not really like their forward pack is
one of the best Ford packs, especially having pain hust
there as well, and their edges are strong and they
can both carry and defend well. So it's going to
be a tough one for us on the weekend and
see how we go.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
When you look at the makeup of the side you've
mentioned a couple of players already, you'd have reasonably decent
relationship with a lot of these guys from your NRL days.
How much does that add to the competition on the
on the day.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Oh yeah, as footballers were massive competitors and we like
to get one over our friends and our training. Yeah,
it's a massive one. So we all want to have
breaking rights and hopefully I'll be the one breaking.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
We'd like to think, so we want that. How do
you feel about this game being played in Australia? It's
in New Zealand, big Sumi, shouldn't it be an Auckland.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Bro Look to be honest, I don't. I don't care
where we play as long as you know, yeah, that's
where we played. That's that's where we play.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Yeah, and as long as you get your biscuits, as
long as you get the cookie. So they tell us
about Stacy Jones and the way he's operating. Has he
been an enjoyable coach to play on it.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
He's a lot different than marg He's more calmers good
for us as well. Stacey's different in how he, you know, coaches,
He's more calm and just just nice and mellow.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
The game against Dongo last week astonishing for the crowd
and the crowd alone. This always happens with Tonga. Are
they possibly the best fans in rugby league? Do you think, Moses?
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Yeah? They're up there. I've played a game before against
the tongue of crowd and that have to be up
there number one for me, because like their crowds are
really good crowds, and they sing throughout the whole game,
and the energy is just different.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
That's the best reason to go to those games is
the tongue and crowd. I keep going on about this
in the ra dio, but I firmly believe it. I
wish every crowd behave like that with the hymns. That
it must be hard not to get carried away with
it when they start singing. Maybe drop it and send
join in as well. Moses.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Yeah, we were just going to stay focused there and
not let the crowd get to you or us. And
like I said before, Top.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
After the end of a of a long and ultimately
unsuccessful season, has your engine, how your legs? How are
you feeling going into this very last game, because you
get you spent a lot of time getting crunched in
the middle.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Moses, Yeah, bodies feeling feeling good. You know, if you
look after your body, your bodies feels good towards the
back end. And yeah, like I said, I'm feeling good.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Looking forward to it hugely, so it's a wonderful team.
It's unchanged. There's some absolute weapons out there and you
are one of them. Moses Liota, thank you so much
for your time. You play hard, play fair, play well.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Thanks mother, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with dust T Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set B on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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