David Nofoaluma has stolen the show at Campbelltown Sports Stadium by scoring four tries in Samoa’s dominant win over the Cook Islands.
The experienced Toa Samoa outfit was too strong for a youthful Cook Islands squad, scoring eight tries to two in a 42-12 victory.
Nofoaluma’s first try of the night involved an impressive display of strength and balance as he evaded several defenders and the sideline to plant the ball in the right corner.
The Wests Tigers flyer had another four-pointer before half time and completed his hat trick with an 80-metre intercept try in the 57th minute.
Not content with three tries, the King of Campbelltown linked up with Manly’s Josh Schuster and latched onto a well-placed grubber kick for his final try.
Wests Tigers utility Fa’amanu Brown was also dangerous in his 31 minutes on the park, creating havoc around the ruck as the opposition forwards began to tire.
Brown provided a deft pass that put Spencer Leniu in the perfect position to score a first half try, but the Panthers prop dropped the ball over the line.
Earlier in the afternoon, a strong first half display from New Zealand saw the Kiwis emerge victorious over Mate Ma’a Tonga by a scoreline of 26-6.
Ken Maumalo, Joe Ofahengaue and Starford To’a were amongst the squads for the match but did not take the field.
Representative Round will conclude tomorrow with a blockbuster State of Origin clash in Perth as the Blues aim to level the series.
