Jamie Soward defends Sienna Lofipo after choosing Samoa for Pacific Championships over Jillaroos

The Queensland Origin star has helped Fetu Samoa qualify for the 2026 World Cup over the past two years but after a brilliant season with the Gold Coast earned a surprise call up to the Jillaroos squad on Monday.

In a bold move for the growth of the women’s international game, the 20-year-old opted to turn down the chance to wear the green and gold and honour a commitment to represent Samoa instead.

Soward, who has been coach of the Samoan women’s team for the past few years, says it’s a call equal to that of Jason Taumalolo choosing to represent Tonga or Payne Haas playing for Samoa over Australia.

Taumalolo’s move in particular ignited a boom of success for Tonga on the international scene, increasing the competitiveness of the competition.

“We’re asking these girls every time there’s an international game to make a choice about what part of themselves to represent, and it becomes a bidding war,” he said.

“Jason Taumalolo and all those guys paved the way for this, and Sienna is a part of that. She was really torn on what to do on the fact that she played State of Origin, but she just wanted to represent her Samoan culture, and that’s OK.”

While mostly celebrated as a brave decision to improve the strength of the international women’s game, it attracted some thinly veiled racist hate online by trolls who insist Origin players should only be eligible for Australia.

“She should be applauded, not run down my people who have no idea of the complexity of the situation,” Soward said.

“I was just really upset that people don’t understand, especially for Pacific nations who might have two or three representations in their family, these players don’t take this decision lightly.

“The criticism is totally unfair when they don’t understand the situation.

“She hasn’t snubbed Australia, she really tossed and turned with the decision.

“The girls who have the dual heritage, that’s totally fine they can do whatever is best for themselves.”

Samoa will head into camp in New Zealand next week before facing the Kiwi Ferns at Go Media Stadium to kick off the Pacific Championships on October 19.

YOUNG NRLW PHENOM PICKS SAMOA OVER AUSTRALIA

Gold Coast forward Sienna Lofipo has turned down the chance to make her debut with the Jillaroos in the Pacific Championships, opting to honour a commitment to Fetū Samoa.

The 20-year-old was named by Jillaroos coach Jess Skinner as one of five new faces in the Australian squad ahead of the international tournament later this month, but has withdrawn after being selected for Samoa.

It’s a huge move for the international women’s game, following in the footsteps of similar moves by Payne Haas, Stephen Crichton and Jarome Luai.

In an ironic twist, the Jillaroos play Samoa in their first clash of the Championships on October 26 at Suncorp Stadium.

“I’m incredibly honoured and grateful to be selected for the Jillaroos but after thinking long and hard and talking with my family, I want to represent Samoa again this year,” Lofipo said in a statement.

“It was an extremely tough decision, but I want to uphold the commitment I made to Samoa after qualifying last year for our first Women’s Rugby League World Cup in 2026.

“I want to thank Jillaroos coach Jess Skinner for considering me and I wish her and the squad well for the Pacific Championships.”

It follows a big year for Lofipo who was one of the Titans’ best across the NRLW season as well as playing all three games for Queensland in the women’s State of Origin series.

She is one of a handful of Origin players named by Samoa coach Jamie Soward, including Brisbane’s premiership winner and Maroons lock Destiny Brill and Roosters forward Tavarna Papalii. Rookie of the year Shalom Sauaso has also been named along with grand final teammate Annetta Claudia-Nu’uausala.

Samoa will play their first game of the Championships against New Zealand on October 19 at Go Media Stadium in Auckland.

JILLAROOS ROOKIE SWEATS ON SCANS AFTER BRUTAL GF INJURY

Sydney Roosters duo Rima Butler and Keeley Davis have been named in the Jillaroos squad for the Pacific Championships a day after copping nasty facial injuries in their NRLW grand final loss to Brisbane.

It’s the first Australian Test cap for Roosters prop Butler, who has been sent for scans on Monday morning after a brutal head clash saw her immediately swell in Sunday’s decider.

The Roosters expect she will be cleared of any serious injury, while Davis is understood to have also been cleared of a facial fracture, with the Roosters saying her nasty eye injury is likely a haematoma that will require draining.

Butler is one of five debutants named in coach Jess Skinner’s squad, with NSW halfback Jesse Southwell named alongside Origin teammates Ellie Johnston and Jocelyn Kelleher, as well as Titans and Queensland forward Sienna Lofipo.

“I’ve been in contact with the Roosters also spoke to John Strange this morning and didn’t have any major concerns (about Butler and Davis) but obviously they’ll get a check over today,” she said.

“It was hard (to make these selections) we have five potential debutants too which shows the depth of the game, a few injuries and good news for this year with babies on the way for a couple of our players which is really exciting, it’s definitely a tough job but the chairman and the selectors have done a good job.”

Roosters skipper Isabelle Kelly also suffered an ankle injury in Sunday’s loss to the Broncos but said after the game it was nothing serious.

Southwell’s selection marks the first time the Knights halfback has been named in the side despite being brought into the squad for last year’s Pacific Championships.

Marked as the future of the Jillaroos, Southwell’s selection was an easy call with Tarryn Aiken sidelined with an ACL injury.

“(Southwell) came in week three last year and she’s played in the PMs XIII so she understands what the green and gold is, and she’s done a great job, not only for her team but for the State of Origin side earlier in the year, she’s definitely ready to step up,” Skinner said.

“She’s a really smart footballer, I met her when she was 17 years of age and she knows football but she’s also a sponge, she loves to learn and she has a growth mindset.

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“To see her from the early days of development and progressing through her NRLW journey, but for me it was working with her in the PMs team last year as her head coach and how much she really bought into what we were about that week.

“She stood up physically and socially, she’s the future of our game and deserves to be in this team.”

The Jillaroos are set to open their Championships campaign against Fetu Samoa at Suncorp Stadium on October 26, and will play New Zealand at Eden Park on November 2.