Friday 24 October 2014 14:01, UK
Mose Masoe says Samoa are out to "shock the world" when they make their Four Nations debut against England in Brisbane in Saturday’s opener.
The St Helens prop forward missed the Samoans' Pacific Cup win over Fiji in May as he concentrated on his first season in Super League but he has been recalled, along with Wakefield half-back or hooker Pita Godinet, for their heavyweight clashes down under.
England will be the favourites to toppled Samoa ahead of Australia’s mouth-watering clash with New Zealand straight after although Masoe is not discounting the possibility of an upset.
"I was quite surprised to get in," said Masoe, fresh from his club's Grand Final triumph. "They had a good performance against Fiji but the coach kept faith in some of the players who came over here.
I'm really stoked to be selected again. It's going to be a great tournament. We've got quite a strong squad too so we can shock the world I guess.
"I'm really stoked to be selected again. It's going to be a great tournament. We've got quite a strong squad too so we can shock the world I guess.
"Our outside backs are handy - a couple played in the Grand Final for the Bulldogs, and we have a forward pack that can match it with the best.
"In the World Cup we showed we can do something and this is another step for us."
Masoe, of course, will be familiar with the opposition while head coach Matt Parish has also been able to call on former St Helens and Great Britain scrum-half Sean Long, the Salford assistant who was his right-hand man during the World Cup and has flown out to Brisbane for the start of the Four Nations Series.
Samoa are without former St Helens forward Sia Soliola, who captained them in the World Cup, and their preparations have been overshadowed by the suspension of three of their players amid allegations that they were involved in a nightclub brawl.
Parish was forced to leave out Canterbury Bulldogs forward Reni Maitua – a team-mate of England's acting captain James Graham - North Queensland Cowboys centre Tautau Moga and Wests Tigers back-rower Sauaso Sue while Canterbury centre Tim Lafai is unavailable due to his wedding.
