The Toa Samoa coaching staff will be finalised by the new head coach Ben Gardiner next week, according to the Samoa Rugby League President, Fiu Ponifasio Vasa.

Speaking in an interview with the Samoa Observer, the SRL President said the decision on coaching positions will be made by the new head coach, following the completion of Australia's National Rugby League (N.R.L.) competition this weekend with the Brisbane Broncos taking on the current premiers Penrith Panthers in the grand final on Sunday. 

"Currently they haven't finalised the staff yet until next week after the NRL grand final," said Fiu. 

Asked whether former Toa Samoa players such as Nigel Vagana and Joe Galuvao will be part of the coaching staff, Fiu said that is the call of the new head coach and current Penrith assistant coach. 

"They've always been in the background of things as they played (for Toa Samoa) before and even when they stopped playing for Toa, same as other former Toa Samoa players giving either direct or indirect assistance."

The final selection of the Toa Samoa coaching staff will be done one week before the Pacific Championship, which is in the second week of October, officially kicks off. 

Last week the R.L.S. executive board announced the two new coaches for Toa Samoa and Fetu Samoa: Gardiner for Toa and Jamie Soward for the Fetu.

During the announcement, the R.L.S. Committee expressed their confidence in Gardiner's involvement and bonding with the Toa Samoa players, who currently play for the Penrith Panthers in the N.R.L. 

Meanwhile, the Fetu is scheduled to play their first Pacific Championships match on 15 October 2023. The Toa Samoa and the Fetu squads are scheduled to meet on 7 October 2023 before the Pacific Championships kicks off. Toa Samoa will play Australia and New Zealand in October. 

For the Pacific Championship, the International Rugby League (IRL) has been urged by the RLS Committee to include the Pacific Championships in the professional code's annual calendar, according to the president.

The Pacific Championship is divided into two divisions, the Pacific Cup where New Zealand and Australia are to join Samoa, and the Pacific Bowl which groups Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands. The matches for both divisions will be held at around the same time next month with the inclusion of the women's national team known as the Fetu Samoa.

According to next month's Pacific Championships' participation agreement, the Toa Samoa squad should camp seven days before the start of the matches which will be played on 14 October 2023.