Nesian Footy

With a resume as colourful as Eddy Pettybourne's, he's not joking when he says, "Take opportunities with two hands." The former Samoan rugby league player surprises Sam and Tinirau with insights into where his career has taken him and the lessons that can be learned from his journey.  Sam shares the results from the Coral Coast Sevens held in Fiji over the weekend and Tinirau reveals his predictio...

Sione Katoa went from All Blacks dreams to A Tongan world beater. Having never played rugby league, Katoa took a shot and moved from NZ to Australia and the Tongan and Cook Islander man worked hard to eventually play NRL and represent the red jersey.  We hear about living with Sam’s Dad, falling out of love with footy and retiring early, that famous win over Australia and why he and his brother Is...

Dave Tuinauvai knows what it takes to make it in the NFL and thinks that Pasifika athletes are made to thrive in the sport. Sam & Tinirau ask Tuinauvai how he got to this place in his career, what kids with a dream need to show him and why there's so much untapped talent in the islands. It's also the first show back so the boys catch up on holiday highlights, the footy news across the last few...

If it wasn't for a forged permission slip, Jazmon Tupou-Witchman thinks she wouldn't be where she is today - playing NRLW and representing Cook Islands on the international level. Sam & T chat to the youngster about her Cook Islander and Tongan upbringing, who she was looking up to in the skies on debut for her country and how moving from NZ to Sydney to Wynnum and to Townsville made her more...

After a year of 'Nesian Knowledge' questions, it all comes down to this week to find out whether Sam, Tinirau or maybe both the boys will get a 'Nesian Footy' tattoo on their bum. There's a bit of Rugby Sevens to dive into as well as Tinirau's trip during the week to the Cook Islands but really, we're all here to see who's getting branded forever thanks to a bit of trivia.

Wallaroo Siokapesi Palu has Samoan and Tongan blood and she's somehow lived with both feet in both camps, embracing her culture while still having pride in representing Australia. Having only picked up Rugby Union in 2020, Palu was crowned the best Super W player of 2024 and captained the Wallaroos during their recent successful WXV campaign.  We hear about her Dad's initial hesitancy in playing r...

Samoan Australian Will Skelton wasn't always a giant of the rugby union world and didn't make many rep teams growing up, but all of that has changed. Skelton talks about his cultural upbringing, his immense pride playing and living in Samoa at a junior level and why he initially turned down a leadership role with the Wallabies. In the second last Monday show of the year, 'Nesian Knowledge' gets he...

NRL legend Joe Galuvao lost his Mum when he was seven years old and was mostly raised by his sisters, so when he returned to Samoa in 2019 it was an emotional trip. Sam & Tinirau sit down with the rugby league icon to hear about how his family dealt with tragedy, his proudest day playing for Toa Samoa, the culture shock of moving from NZ to Penrith and the healing he's found in later life.

Faith Nathan is one of three Cook Islands cousins in the Aussie Sevens team and footy is most definitely in her blood. Ahead of the Dubai Sevens tournament to kick off the 24/25 season, Nathan talks about her motivation, the pain of the Paris Olympics and why those extra fitness sessions are paying off. Plus Sam wraps up the final tests for Fiji and Tonga, Tinirau continues his grading of teams in...

One rugby training session changed Melanie Kawa's life forever and since then Kawa has represented Papua New Guinea, captained the Melbourne Rebels and become a mother. Sam & Tinirau chat to the trailblazer about her simple and beautiful upbringing in PNG, how she managed to come back to rugby after child birth and play in front of her little girl and what her calling is next.

Described as Payne Haas but with headgear, 19-year-old Samoan giant De La Salle Va'a is a star on the rise. Brought up on a healthy diet of boxing and rugby league, Va'a tells Sam & Tinirau about his journey to now and why he couldn't resist signing with the Roosters after one special dinner. There's a heap of Rugby Union to chat about including a win for Fiji and a loss for Tonga, some Golden...

Will Hopoate left Rugby League at age 19 after winning an NRL premiership to go on his Mormon mission and he doesn't regret it one bit. In the first episode of Sam & T's Summer Sitdowns, Will Hopoate talks about the "organised chaos" of his upbringing, the challenges and rewards of his Mormon mission and why he'll never forget the pre-World Cup Tonga camp in 2017. He's one of the most recognis...

If it was any other game, Lachlan Lam says he might turn it down, but playing for the PNG Kumuls is something Lam never wants to miss. Having captained Papua New Guinea this Pacific Championships, the son of a gun chats to Sam & Tinirau live from Fiji about his ties to his culture, what it's like seeing the local PNG players grow and his hopes for the future of their national game. Sam, Tinira...

Ahead of the massive weekend of Pacific Championships finals and promotion/relegation games Sam, Tinirau and special guest Jillaroo Sala Togatuki break down the games, what's at stake and who will be victorious. There's also big Wallabies news for some new Nesian faces, Fiji and Tonga are in action in Europe too and it's the final Professor Paulo of 2024 so who will have to shout our end of year l...

Just as Christian Pio was about to debut for Fetu Samoa in 2023 her Dad tragically fell ill and passed away, so her first game in blue in the Pacific Championships this year was extra special. We chatted to Pio in Suva and she tells us about representing her motherland and her family, learning more about her Samoan side and why she ghosted Tinirau a year ago. Sam & Tinirau discuss the last of...

There's plenty at stake this weekend in the Pacific Championships with spots in the finals and in the World Cup up for grabs! Sam & Tinirau look ahead to the games as well as the Rugby Union internationals which kick off this weekend too. Plus Sala Togatuki is back to tell us all about her Jillaroos experience and how much it has meant to her.

Kevin Naiqama has been playing for the Fiji Bati for 15 years and as he lines up for the final time in Fijian colours in the Pacific Championships, we look back with Naiqama on his special career. Rugby League has taken him from Fiji to Australia to the UK and more and we hear about what's changed, what the future looks like and why it's extra meaningful to end his career with games in Suva. Sam &...

From 'walk the line' to devotion to new leaders emerging, Tongan stars Emmanita Paki and Tegan Dymock give us a close look at their camp this year for the Pacific Championships. Plus, Fiji take on the Cook Islands and the Aussies do battle with NZ this weekend in the men's and women's Pac Champs, so we unpack all four games as well as the squads for the Rugby Union teams heading to Europe for thei...

We take you to Suva to hear all the best bits from the Pacific Championships weekend in Fiji including chats with Nene Macdonald, Monalisa Soliola, Sunia Turuva, Pauline Piliae-Rasabale, Frank Pritchard, Jason Demetriou, Tegan Dymock and more.  Sam is also joined by Will Hopoate who steps in for Tinirau, so we head inside the Tonga camp after their loss to the Kangaroos. If you weren't in Suva, yo...

For the very first time, Sam & Tinirau bring you Nesian Footy direct from Suva in Fiji where the Pacific Championships are on this weekend. Featuring the men's Fiji and PNG teams and the women's Samoa and Tonga teams, it's a massive weekend for rugby league in the region and we take you to where all the action is. There's previews, interviews, stories and more of what is sure to be a massive w...

After being the youngest player to debut for the Rebels, Esei Haangana left Australia to play rugby in Japan for a new experience and to provide for his family and despite being eligible to play for both Australia and Tonga, he’s hoping to represent Japan next year. Haangana tells us why his Tongan parents are supportive of his decision, what life is like for a young Pasifika man in Japan and why...

We look at how the PNG Orchids and Kumuls can take it to the Australian PM's XIII teams as well as dive into all the Pacific Championships teams that have dropped this week to see which Nesian stars might shine bright in the tournament. Sala Togatuki also drops by to share her great Jillaroos news and what jer journey was like leading up to this and it's a big weekend in the WXV competition for Fi...

Two time premiership player Felise Kaufusi tells us what it's like to be a Tongan kid growing up in country QLD and why he never takes representing Tonga lightly. He also reveals why he gave up asking people to say his name correct as a youngster, what he'll tell his grandkids about beating that Penrith team and what he had to bribe his son with to get matching haircuts. As you'd expect, it's wall...

The biggest weekend of the year in the NRL and NRLW worlds is upon us and Tinirau and Sam give us everything we need to know about each game with a big focus on the Nesian stars set to shine. Sala Togatuki drops by as well to help run her eye over the women's GF. There's Dally M news, Super W rugby lost another team and Sam has some stories from his Japan trip.

Being coached by your dad in a team of boys just meant Pani Hopoate had to go harder and with footy in her blood, that wasn't a problem. The NRLW star and Grand Final bound Roosters player chats about fitting footy and training around work, sleeping on couches in the chaotic Hopoate house and why she was the favourite child. Tinirau is joined by Will Hopoate again this week and they look at the NR...