Star winger Sione Katoa has declared the Tonga-Samoa rivalry will reach a State of Origin intensity when the two nations face off at Suncorp Stadium in October.
The teams will clash on Sunday October 26 in the second week of the Pacific Championships. The Jillaroos will also take on Samoa as part of a double-header.
Tonga's campaign comes on the back of a successful tournament last year, where they toppled New Zealand in Auckland and came close to stunning the Kangaroos in the final.
Both matches were played in front of sold-out crowds, with Go Media Stadium and CommBank Stadium swamped by the famed Red Sea.
Just in case you thought it was a Kangaroos home game
The Tongan players expect the atmosphere to go to another level this year, though they are also bracing for blue-clad Samoan fans to turn out in force.
Katoa said Suncorp Stadium will provide the perfect amphitheatre for the two nations to renew their rivalry and is pleased he'll be wearing red at Queensland's home ground.
"In the international game everyone always talks about New Zealand and Australia but Tonga and Samoa is just as intense," Katoa told 94ddz.com. "It has that State of Origin intensity and it will go off.
"Suncorp is a great stadium, it's a big stadium and when it's packed it's a crazy atmosphere. Tongans and Samoans are both very loud countries so it will be a fun game to be part of.
"It always means a lot to play for Tonga. Once you put on that jersey you become a different person, a different player. You're representing your parents and all Tongans so it's a big feeling."
What it means: Pacific Championships
The match will mark the first time Tonga has played Samoa since the 2022 World Cup, with the Samoans prevailing 20-18 in the quarter-final amid a historic run to the final.
The loss has lingered long in the memories of the Tongan players and it's one they're desperate to rectify this season.
With another World Cup just around the corner, captain Addin Fonua-Blake said it's important the team uses this year's campaign to lay the foundation for success in 2026.
Match Highlights: Tonga v Samoa
"Samoa did all the little things right in that game and they were able to get us in the end," Fonua-Blake said. "It's something we want to try and get one back.
"The boys are still feeling a bit of hurt from that game so there's going to be some fireworks. Both countries being in the Pacific there are bragging rights on the line about which country's better.
"It's a rivalry that's great for the game. The audience the two teams are able to pull into stadiums is going to make a great spectacle."
Samoa will return to the Pacific Championships after a two-Test tour to England last year. While there were plenty of positives, they were unable to replicate the 2022 World Cup heroics and lost both matches.
This season, however, marks a chance for Samoa to claim the ascendancy over their Pacific neighbours as they look to chart a path to back to the World Cup final next year.
The Samoan Siva Tau at Headingly
Ben Gardiner's side will open their tournament against New Zealand in Auckland on October 19 before playing Tonga in Brisbane the following week.
The final will be held at CommBank Stadium on Sunday November 9.
While playing the Kiwis will be the initial focus, Samoan playmaker Blaize Talagi said the clash with Tonga seven days later will carry some added spice.
"It's a massive rivalry," Talagi said. "There are Tongans and Samoans all over Australia and New Zealand. In school the rivalry just exists and everyone's aware of it, looking to see who comes out on top.
"It will be crazy playing at Suncorp Stadium. There will be a lot of fans from Sydney and New Zealand who make the trip and there's such a big Pacific Island community in Queensland so it will be a big crowd."
