Samoan Softballers A Challenge To Black Sox & Australia
Don’t expect Samoa to be easy beats at the upcoming ISF Oceania Softball Qualifiers December 12-13 at Rosedale Park,
Albany in Aukcland.
It’s a tough tournament when teams are rated first (the Black Sox), third in the world (the Aussie Steelers) and Samoa
seventh from the last world champs. Yet one of them will miss next year’s world champs.
Samoa are quietly confident of having the ability to surprise. They know Australia has great pitching and top players
all round. They know the Black Sox are the champions, but take a look at Samoa and there is plenty of depth and plenty
of character according to respected head coach Robert Siolo.
“This is a very short tournament and it’s who can get up best for each game. At the world’s we preformed pretty well. We
only just lost to Australia in the bottom of the seventh, we competed hard against Venezuela and we beat the Black Sox
in the Brother Patrick tournament prior to the world champs,” says Siolo.
In many ways a Samoa versus Black Sox game is a family affair. Campbell Enoka could be up against his brothers Thomas
and Ben, while father Duncan Enoka is heavily involved in the management of the Samoa side.
Bernie Hale is the younger brother of Black Sox Donny Hale and the rest of the team play alongside the Kiwis around New
Zealand including the Niu brothers, Josh, Michael and Tony.
“We’re going to be unpredictable. We’ve got some good young talent with some international experience too. We are strong
but not necessarily well known publically like the Black Sox,” says Siolo.
Samoa feature a number of players who have international experience. Pitcher Zane Siolo aged 20 has been playing in the
United States for three years. Joel Harris, 21 has also recently been in the US and Josh Cooke just returned from the
Czech Republic. The current squad of 13 players includes 12 of the team who finished seventh at the last world
championships, one place behind Japan and one ahead of the United States.
Samoa Team:
Zane Siolo (Wellington), Greg Anderson (Auckland), Joel Harris (Wellington), Michael Niu (Auckland), Kallan Compain
(Auckland), Josh Cooke (Auckland), Gene Lutton (Wellington), Gerard Long (Auckland), Josh Niu (Auckland), Tony Niu
(North Harbour), Campbell Enoka (Auckland), Bernie Hale (Auckland), Matt Moriarty (North Harbour).
ENDS