England’s Four Nations squad awoke on the Gold Coast on Monday morning to lurid headlines suggesting they may face a weakened Samoa team in Saturday’s tournament opener in Brisbane as the result of a nightclub brawl in the city’s Fortitude Valley. The Brisbane Courier Mail reported that Tautau Moga, a centre with the North Queensland Cowboys, had been arrested after “a disagreement broke out at the Hot Gossip nightclub on Sunday morning”. Matt Parish, the former Salford coach who steered Samoa to their first Four Nations place with a win against Fiji this year, said: “We are co-operating with the authorities. As there is a police investigation, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.” Australia’s National Rugby League, which is hosting the tournament, also confirmed its integrity unit was investigating the incident. The Courier Mail suggested Reni Maitua, an experienced Canterbury Bulldogs player with a chequered past, was also present, and that any players found to have been involved could be suspended from Saturday’s game.
England’s only concern before the match, which will be the first part of a double header at Suncorp Stadium before Australia face New Zealand, has been the fitness of their captain Sean O’Loughlin, who pulled a muscle in his thigh in Wigan’s Grand Final defeat by St Helens. Richie Myler, the Warrington scrum-half who was a notable omission from their squad, has been linked with a possible long-term loan move to Hull KR.
