Tonga and Samoa Become Star World Cup Drawcards

Once considered underdogs, Tonga and Samoa have transformed into major attractions at the Rugby League World Cup. Their recent performances drew massive crowds despite challenging conditions, including a late-night kick-off on a workday in Sydney that still attracted over 13,000 spectators to watch Toa Samoa defeat France by a score of 78-4. The match concluded with an extraordinary final play where Stephen Crichton's penalty ricocheted off the post before Benaiah Ioelu scored a try after full time had been declared, marking one of Samoa's largest-ever victories in competition history.