Isaako landslide sees Kiwis smash Samoa

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New Zealand (M) v Samoa (M)

A big points haul for 2023 NRL top tryscorer and pointscorer Jamayne Isaako has helped New Zealand record a 50-0 shut out of Samoa at Eden Park on Saturday.

Isaako was back in the black & white for the first time since 2019 and turned on an exciting performance, scoring two tries and kicking seven goals to amass 22 of his nation's half-century on a sunny Saturday evening in Auckland.

The prodigal Kiwi opened the scoring off a Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad cut-out pass and shortly after Jahrome Hughes had the hosts' second try, and when Isaako recorded his second four-pointer after 25 minutes, things were looking ominous.

Samoa's defence tightened at 18-0 down, and the Kiwis wouldn't penetrate the line again before the break.

The second half saw the dam wall break. Nelson Asofa-Solomona opened proceedings with Isaiah Papali'i also scoring inside the first ten minutes following the resumption.

Ronaldo Mulitalo was next to score, around the houre mark, with Briton Nikora and James Fisher-Harris rounding out the Kiwis' scoring late in the match to rack up the fifty.

The 50-point win is the Kiwis' biggest ever against Samoa, eclipsing the 2010 victory (50-6) at Mt Smart Stadium.

The loss means the Toa Samoa campaign has ended, with Australia and New Zealand to meet over the next two weekends, with victory in the latter match to determine the winners of the Pacific Championships Cup.