RLWC: Junior Paulo and his Samoan teammates do their families proud
As Junior Paulo prepares to lead his country into the Rugby League World Cup, his mother has spoken of the pride his decision to stick by Samoa has brought to her.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Filomena Paulo is fighting back tears. After a while, she is forced to concede defeat. The mother of Samoan captain Junior Paulo can’t contain the emotion any longer.
If you want to know what Sunday morning’s World Cup grand final against the Kangaroos means to the people of Samoa, look no further than the proud mother of the country’s captain.
Or for that matter his father Vilo, who sits beside his wife with a beaming smile on his face. Jarome Luai may be the rock star of the Samoan side, but Paulo is its foundation.
A giant of a man who has become a leader of them.
Filomena and Vilo were born in Samoa but Junior was raised in western Sydney, where he has become co-captain of Parramatta and a fixture for NSW.
The one thing missing on his resume is an Australian jersey.
It was there for the taking this year, but Paulo opted to follow his heart and pledge his allegiance to Samoa, a decision that has been rewarded with a place in the World Cup final on the hallowed turf of Old Trafford.
“When he comes home and I am not home, he always calls and says, ‘Where are you?’,” Filomena says.
“He says, ‘Come home now’. I love my son. Honestly, I love my son so much. It doesn’t matter that he has a wife and kids, he is still my boy.
“All the boys had the choice to choose to play for Samoa for their grandparents and great grandparents. That is the reason I am so proud of him.
“I said to him, ‘It is up to you, where does your heart go?’ That is why I am so happy that he chose Samoa. I was overcome with emotion.”
Paulo has been a regular member of the Samoan side in recent years, but this time around it was different. He would likely have walked into the Australian side, but Samoan coach Matt Parish planted a seed months ago in his quest to land his biggest fish.
He met Paulo in February with Frank Pritchard, the former Samoan player who is a member of the coaching staff. They chewed the fat and agreed to put off a decision until after the Origin series was over.
“I outlined what my thoughts were through the year,” Parish said.
“We spoke about Origin and how important that was to him, and the respect he has for the Australian jumper, that the best thing for him would be to make a decision after Origin.
“He came up pretty well straight after and said, ‘I am in’.
“Again, I was reasonably confident he was going to do that after my discussion earlier in the year.
“I can’t tell you how much he has grown to be inspirational on and off the field. He is a phenomenal leader. His performances on this tour have been unbelievable.”
Paulo has been a large reason behind Samoa’s success at this tournament.
If he doesn’t do what he has done, Luai doesn’t get the space to weave his magic. Suaalii doesn’t get the room to create havoc.
And Samoa doesn’t take rugby league on a ride that has captured the imagination of rugby league fans across the globe, none more so than those who identify with the Pacific island nation.
Samoan flags have been sold out, leaving supporters to knit their own rudimentary versions. They have gathered in carparks and flooded social media. The players have been invited to the Prime Minister’s residence after the Cup is completed regardless of the result.
Samoa has enjoyed an enormous victory.
So has Parish, who was lambasted after they were flogged in the opening game of the tournament by England but has now been lauded for the way he has led Samoa to the final.
Asked about the criticism that has shadowed him in recent times, Parish opts to bite his tongue.
“I think there is strength in silence sometimes,” he says.
“It doesn’t really affect me as much as it affects my mum and dad, and my kids. They are resilient enough too to get over it.
“It is worth it now and it has been worth it the whole journey. In any sport you get your good and bad. You need to ride out the tough times and enjoy the good ones.
“I would rather talk about the future and how proud and humbling it has been – this whole World Cup. I think if we can unite everyone involved in rugby league in Samoa and around the world, it is a good thing.
“That’s what I hope has happened out of this – that everyone unites and gets behind this team not only now, but in the future too.”
Ask Parish whether Samoa can beat the might of Australia and he prefers to talk about what they have already accomplished.
“Don’t get me wrong, we want the result this weekend,” Parish said.
“We’re under no illusion about how tough it is going to be. But I think what they have been able to achieve so far has been monumental given what has happened.
“To think that a Pacific nation would be playing in a World Cup final in any tournament …. Is just unheard of.
“What again, this group has been able to achieve with the adversity of players going home injured, is phenomenal.
“Here we are the last two in the world. How good.”
Filomena and Vilo no doubt agree.They arrived in England after the tournament had begun but they have followed their son in recent weeks and enjoyed their own magic carpet ride.
He has been one of the stars of the tournament, running out with the words of his mother ringing in his ears before every game.
Don’t forget your cross, she tells him. That is what has led you everywhere you go.
“That is all I say to my son every game,” Filomena said.
“I never talk about football. God is the first thing in your life and God bless you, that is what I say to my son.”
The football talk is left to Vilo. He has been the driving force behind Paulo’s rugby league career, urging his son to make sacrifices for his success.
“He had played State of Origin and NRL, but the only thing he had missed out on was Australia,” Vilo says.
“But for him to represent Samoa is unreal, especially for his grandparents. His grandmother is still alive. It is a proud moment.
“I am very happy for him to represent our culture. We appreciate it.”
The only question then is whether they can win.
Can David beat Goliath? Can the minnows take down the monolith?
Why not, says Vilo.
“To be honest they have a chance,” Vilo says.
“No one expected them to beat England. I think they have the players to do it. In the end it doesn’t matter who wins, whether it is Australia or Samoa.
“We will be super proud of what they have achieved in this tournament.”
WATCH: THE ROCK’S EMOTIONAL VIDEO TO SAMOAN TEAM
– Brent Read and Adam Mobbs
The biggest movie star on the planet, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, has delivered an emotional five-minute video to the Samoan team on the eve of their historic Rugby League World Cup final clash with Australia in Manchester.
In a video reel posted to his Instagram account, where he has 348 million followers, the Hollywood superstar praised Samoa for making history by becoming the first team from the island nation to make a major final in any sport, before challenging them to “define your legacy” in the final at Old Trafford on Sunday morning (AEDT).
There was a social media push from around the camp to reach out Johnson, who is of Samoan descent, ahead of the final.
And the movie star, former American college footballer and professional wrestler didn’t disappoint, in a five-minute video.
“Man, here we go. I am delivering this message with boundless love, boundless, reverence, and respect, and boundless pride for my boys, my usos, the Toa Samoa rugby (sic) team,” Johnson said.
“They are going to the men’s final of the Rugby League World Cup.
“This is a big deal. They are making history in the world of sports, in the world of rugby. This is the first time that our island, our country, our culture of Samoa has ever gone to the finals for any sport.
“They are making history and I could not be more proud of them, we could not be more proud of them.”
Johnson, 50, whose latest film Black Adam has grossed more than $350 million at the box office, goes on to talk about the pressure facing the Samoan team, led by captain Junior Paulo.
“There’s a few things I want to share with you guys and I know you have so much on your mind right now,” Johnson said.
“Pressure, pressure, pressure. The pressure to deliver, the pressure to perform. You have the world watching. And you have so much on your shoulders.
“Right now you are proud grandsons, proud sons, proud husbands, proud fathers, proud teammates, proud brothers, proud usos — pressure.
“I understand what it’s like to have pressure. I understand what it’s like to do stuff when the world is watching.
“So a few things that I always think about when it comes to scenarios like this. It happened when I was playing football, it happened when I was wrestling for some of the biggest Wrestlemanias of all time, it happened in this crazy world of Hollywood. It happens outside of Hollywood in all these other industries. But when it comes to pressure and when it comes to delivering, when you have so many people relying on you and you have it all on your shoulders, I understand.
“There’s a few things that I was thinking about and I want you to think about this too, and I know you’ve got a lot of stuff on your mind. Number one is grit. There’s a term that you guys know it’s called fa’a Samoa, and when I was growing up my grandfather, high chief Peter Maivia, my grandmother, Lia Maivia, even my mum, Ata, still today we talk about grit.
“Fa’a Samoa … is one of the many Samoan terms that I always embodied because to me, my grandfather always taught me that yes, fa’a Samoa is proud of who you are, where you come from, what’s in your blood, what’s in your DNA, what’s deep in here (thumps chest), mana.
That’s the thing that separates us from everyone else.
“But it also means grit. And it’s the grit, the drive, that force that you operate as if your backs are up against the wall and there’s nowhere to go but ahead, but forward.
“It’s grit I think about, and the other one is legacy.
“When it comes to legacy, you guys are defining your legacy right here.
“When I think about legacy, I think about my grandfather, I think about my dad, the soul man Rocky Johnson. I think about my grandparents. All my ancestors, all your ancestors. Our ancestors are watching.
“History is watching but our ancestors are always watching.
“So when you take that field this Saturday in Manchester and you have that grit and your DNA is just full of our Samoan pride and culture.
“You think about that legacy and that legacy you want to define.
“Because there are two sides to legacy — No.1 is the side that you’ve already made history. You’ve arrived.
“But the other side to legacy, and this is the special side, is when you take that field in Manchester, you leave it all out on the field and you win.
“Man, I’ve got goosebumps right now.
“If I was there with you guys on Saturday I would put on a Toa Samoa jersey and I would take that field, man I’d be running that rock with you guys.
“I’d probably get my ass kicked, but that’s okay.
“Grit, legacy. My usos, I love you, I’m so proud of you, we’re all so proud of you. Take that field, make history and win.”
Watch Australia v Samoa in the Rugby League World Cup Final this Sunday LIVE & Exclusive to Fox Sports, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Nathan Cleary’s brother turns heads in NRL
All eyes were on Nathan Cleary’s younger brother as fans got their first taste of NRL action with an injury concern to one star player.
SuperCoach trial scores: Warriors star steals the show
Any talk of Warriors star Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad losing the No.1 jersey may have been put to bed, after a commanding performance against the Sharks. See all the week one Pre-Season Challenge SuperCoach scores.