Ben Gardiner and Jamie Soward have been respectively appointed Samoa's men's and women's coaches in time for the upcoming Rugby League Pacific Championships.
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Soward currently coaches St George Illawarra's NRLW side, which finished the year in seventh place on the ladder after significant roster turnover in the off-season. He has also worked with the Dragons' men's side as a specialist coach focused on game management and kicking.
"It is an extreme honour and privilege to coach Fetu Samoa," Soward said.
"There is a large number of Polynesian women in the NRLW competition, and it's exciting to have many of these players represent Samoa."
Meanwhile, Penrith assistant coach Gardiner replaces Matt Parish, who led Samoa to the final of last year's World Cup before stepping down in August.
Parish's tenure had been marked by player unrest, including a petition to have him ousted in 2021 following a string of poor results prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new coaching appointments have enticed former Samoa captains Nigel Vagana, Tony Puletua and Willie Poching to return to the fold in mentoring roles.
Gardiner was on New Zealand's staff at the 2017 and 2022 World Cups and coached the Maori side in this year's All Stars match.
"It is a privilege and honour to be entrusted with the role of head coach for Toa Samoa," Gardiner said.
"It is a great opportunity to build connection and relationship as we move into a new era for Rugby League Samoa."
The Pacific Championships begin on October 14 and will include teams from Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the Cook Islands.
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