Star playmaker Taliah Fuimaono has welcomed the appointment of Samoa great Frank Pritchard as Fetu coach as the Pacific nation aim for a finals berth at Rugby League World Cup 2026.

Pritchard, who represented Toa Samoa on eight occasions – including at the 2017 World Cup - after a 27-Test career for New Zealand, will take over as women’s coach following Jamie Soward’s decision to stand down from the role.

The former Panthers, Bulldogs, Eels and Hull FC forward has been a member of the Fetu coaching staff under Soward since 2023 that oversaw Samoa winning Women’s World Cup qualification and earning promotion to last year’s Pacific Cup against Australia and New Zealand.

The Fetu will again face the Jillaroos in the opening women’s match of RLWC2026 at CommBank Stadium on October 16, with the clash to be broadcast at 8pm (AEDT) on Channel 7 after the Samoa v France men’s game.

“We've got the Jillaroos in our pool so that’s going to be tough, but we are excited about the opportunity - especially with the game being in prime time,” Fuimaono said. “We’ve got an NRLW season to get through first but there is so much talent so hopefully we will have a strong side.”

Fuimaono, who will return to the Dragons this season after three years at the Titans, said the Fetu players were familiar with Pritchard and believed they could continue to rise under his coaching.

Photo: Frank Pritchard leads the Siva Tau in the 2015 Pacific Test against Tonga. @NRL Photos

After beating Tonga and Fiji in World Cup qualifiers, Samoa defeated Papua New Guinea in a promotion-relegation match for the 2025 Pacific Cup and were leading New Zealand 20-0 in the opening match of the tournament but were run down in the second half and lost 22-20.

Samoa play Wales in their second World Cup match at CommBank Stadium on October 23 before meeting England at WIN Stadium on October 31, with the winner expected to advance to the semi-finals.

“The girls are in good hands with Frank, he’s been around the team for a few years and he knows the girls well,” Fuimaono said.

“We all feel comfortable with Frank as the coach because he's got a really good relationship with the players. He is really good with people, so I'm sure he will take the team to the next level.

“There's so much talent, especially with the young ones coming through. I think some of them are only 18, and they have just been killing it, so I'm excited to see them play for their clubs this year and then hopefully we'll see the best of them at the end of the year.”

“The team is going to be strong no matter who Frank picks but I'd love to see my name there at the end of the year, hopefully after a healthy season with the Dragons.”

Fuimaono was a member of the Australian squad at the last World Cup in England in 2022 before returning to Samoa, with whom she debuted in 2019.

Photo: Taliah Fuimaono is looking forward to the World Cup with Fetu Samoa. @NRL Photos

After two seasons with the Dragons she also moved to the Gold Coast in 2023 but a series of injures restricted her to 16 NRLW appearances for the Titans in three seasons.

The 26-year-old has now returned to St George Illawarra and is preparing for the upcoming season under new coach Nathan Cross.

“It’s really exciting, they've had a lot of changes and it feels like a new environment since I was there last time,” Fuimaono said.

“There’s very few familiar faces, but I’m just really excited to knuckle down and work hard. I think we've got a really good mixture of experience and newbies coming through.

“We're moving into a new facility at Wollongong so it's definitely moving in the right direction. I know the Steelers have a really good pathways system and there’s a lot of young talent so we're all fighting for spots this pre-season.”

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