Samoa reject Johns brothers coaching offer despite superstar offers

Andrew and Matty Johns’ offer to coach Samoa has fallen on deaf ears, despite the fact the move could unlock a team to rival Australia.

Matthew Johns (right) celebrates the 1997 grand final with brother Andrew (left).Photo: News Ltd

Samoa have stood by coach Matt Parrish for the Rugby League World Cup, rejecting an offer of a legendary coaching team up of Andrew and Matthew Johns, as well as Sonny Bill Williams.

On Fox League’s Sunday Night with Matty Johns, one half of the premiership winning brothers revealed that they would definitely consider taking up the role.

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“They’ve got a head coach at the moment there. But I spoke to Joey (Andrew) again about it today, and yeah (we are serious), definitely,” Johns said.

“We would do it for nothing. Quite seriously, and Joey is the same, you wouldn’t take a cent. Sonny wouldn’t.

“It would be a bit of three-way coaching. I don’t know how it would work, but in my opinion Samoa should be emulating what Tonga are doing.”

It comes amid reported discontent with Samoa’s biggest stars who are attempting to pressure the governing body for a new coach in order to commit to the national side.

Samoa are sticking with Matt Parrish instead of the Johns boys.

Samoa have one win and a draw in their last nine matches but have had far from their strongest team.

But regardless, Rugby League Samoa revealed that they would stick by Parrish rather than the superstar trio.

“Matt has been our head coach since 2013 and has helped strengthen our game on and off the field,” Rugby League Samoa president Tagaloa Faafouina Su’a said in a statement.

“We are a proud nation with passionate rugby league fans and I have no doubt that the best years for Rugby League Samoa are ahead of us.

“The Rugby League Samoa Board wish Matt and the team every success as preparations continue for the World Cup later this year.”

‘The future of the game is international’

But speaking on NRL 360, The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Kent said a change in leadership would unlock a superstar side that would be stacked with Origin level talent.

It comes after Tonga had shocked the world with wins over the big three with wins over New Zealand, Great Britain and Australia within the last five years as players like Jason Taumalolo pledged allegiance to the national team.

What a team that would be for Samoa.

Kent said there are certain players who would join the national team with a change in coach.

“There is a legion of Samoan-eligible players that have declared privately they would play for Samoa if Matt Parrish is not the coach,” he said.

“The Johns boys started with a conversation between Andrew and Sonny Bill Williams about this untapped potential and about Samoa wanting to emulate what Tonga have done in recent years, where a lot of players who were eligible for Australia and New Zealand have committed themselves to Tonga, which culminated in them beating Australia in a Test.

“There is a theory that Samoa with the same sort of commitment could have the same impact, but they won’t do it with the current coach.”

The Australian’s Brent Read said it would be “absolute madness to not get the Johns boys and Sonny Bill Williams. Absolute insanity”.

Kent added that “there must be something as to why they won’t even entertain because there are four to five players there who have not played for Samoa, who have declared that they will play for Samoa under a different coach”.

Kent said that some gripes include that players wanted to honour their heritage in camp.

Samoan players do the Siva Tau before a 2017 World Cup match.

Read added: “It shouldn’t be about Matt Parrish. This is an opportunity to have Sonny Bill Williams, and Andrew and Matty Johns coaching your footy team. Regardless of Matt Parrish and whether he's done a good or bad job, you can’t turn that down.”

But The Telegraph’s Paul Crawley added that it could be an opportunity that Samoa come to regret.

“What this tells me is that the real future of our game is on the international level,” he said. “And if we could only find the way for all these people, if given the opportunity, they chose whoever it is, if everyone went to where they wanted to be.

“The only way for that to happen is for everyone to be on the same amount of money. Any one who is aligned to the NRL gets paid the same as the Australia’s get, or the New Zealand players get or the English players get. If it was Samoa or it’s Tonga, it just makes it fair.”