“Whichever anthem you cry for while singing, that's who you play for”.

Junior Paulo still recalls those words from Phil Gould more than a decade after making his international debut for Toa Samoa against Tonga in 2016 at Parramatta.

"I think before the lyrics even began the tears started rolling down my face," the Toa co-captain said. "Just seeing the amount of fans and how much it meant to them, there was a rush of emotions."

Yet only one side of the stadium was open and the teams, while featuring a large representation of NRL players, were nothing like the star-studded line-ups that will feature at Rugby League World Cup 2026.

Fast forward to now and not only are fans of the two Pacific powerhouses expecting the World Cup clash at CommBank Stadium on November 1 to sell out but they also believe the winner could go on to lift the Paul Barrière Trophy.

“I've always believed that we've had potential, but probably not to the extent where we are capable of winning a World Cup, and although it’s in arm's reach, it's still a long way to go for us as well,” Paulo said.

“But just to see how far we've come in those years since I've been playing … seeing the growth of the international scene, and how much of an impact it can make on, not just in the rugby league world, but the world in general, that’s exactly the reason why we all chose to play for Samoa.”

Paulo didn’t know it in 2016 but international rugby league was about to change forever when Jason Taumalolo and Andrew Fifita turned their backs on New Zealand and Australia to represent Tonga at RLWC17.

Photo: Junior Paulo after his Test debut for Toa Samoa against Tonga in 2016. @NRL Photos

Tonga’s success - beating New Zealand and only losing to England in the final stages of a gripping semi-final in Auckland - inspired the likes of Stephen Crichton, Jarome Luai and Brian To’o to join Paulo in the Samoa team for the last World Cup England.

Beating Tonga 20-18 in an intense quarter-final battle in Warrington, Samoa then shocked the rugby league world when Crichton kicked an extra-time field goal against England to put the Pacific nation in the final at Old Trafford.

The 27-26 win, which ensured Samoa a place in history as the first Pacific nation to play in a World Cup final, sparked an outpouring of emotion across the world and earned the team a shout out from 'The Rock', Dwayne Johnson.

“We all had little discussions about ‘what if we just gave back to our nation,” Paulo said.

“We'd seen the likes of Tonga do it in the previous World Cup, and seen the impact that they'd been able to have, so it was always a question of why can't we do it. The key was being able to get the players at their peak.

“Looking back at it now, it's probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I know some of the other boys will say that, as well.

"To represent Samoa and see what impact it's had now in terms of growing the international game, it's exactly where we want it to be.”

Photo: Junior Paulo leads the Siva Tau before Samoa's 2025 Pacific Championships clash wit Tonga at Suncorp Stadium. @NRL Photos

Since then Payne Haas, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Jeremiah Nanai and Murray Taulagi have joined the Pacific revolution to play for Samoa, who last year reached the final of the Pacific Cup.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has declared his allegiance to Samoa for RLWC26 and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui is yet to decide between the Toa and Kangaroos.

“A lot of great players in the game have put their hand up to play for Samoa when they could be playing for Australia or New Zealand," Paulo said.

"If we were to play for a tier one nation the financial benefits would probably be a lot more than playing for Samoa or Tonga or Fiji, but the far greater impact for us is seeing our people celebrate, seeing them deck out their cars and flags, and their houses.

“If we were to walk through the streets during the World Cup, we’re guaranteed that we are going to see a car with a flag hanging out and those parades go on for weeks.

"That's how much they love the game of rugby league and how much it means to us as people.

"Rugby league is almost a religion for us, and for them. The 80 minutes that we're on the field, that's almost their escape and nothing else matters so we try and do our best to represent them."

Samoa begin their World Cup campaign at CommBank Stadium on October 16 against France in a double-header with Fetu Samoa and the Jillaroos.

The Ben Gardiner-coached team then travel to Port Moresby to play the Kumuls before returning to Sydney where they will face arch rivals Tonga at CommBank Stadium on November 1.

Tonga and Samoa attracted a record crowd of 44,682 at Suncorp Stadium when they met during last year's Pacific Championships and there is likely to be a lot more at stake in their World Cup clash.

“To see the stadiums full, we never imagined we would be able to fill them, but the international rugby league scene at the moment is probably at the best it's ever been," Paulo said.

“I played in 2016 and only one half of the stadium was open for fans watching. Now we are close to a sell-out at Suncorp Stadium, they have probably never seen that amount of flags from tier 2 nations.

"If we want to grow the game, what could be better than to have the World Cup here in Australia so all the fans of the Pacific nations can turn up to support their teams.

“When we play Tonga, I'm sure there will be people hanging from the rafters. That’s probably going to be a game that's going to go down in history, not just for Samoa and Tonga, but I think for international rugby league in general.

"We're going to have people marching and parading. I think the celebrations for either team will go on for the next week, so it’s definitely one to look forward to."

Rugby League World Cup 2026 returns to Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. Where nations clash, heroes rise, and legends are forged. 3 World Cups. 26 Teams. The World’s Best. Tickets are now on sale from $19. Don’t miss the pinnacle of global Rugby League.