Gregor Paul: Samoa captain pays price for opening his mouth

Mahonri Schwalger. Photo / Getty Images

With rugby's heavyweight nations not keen on helping anyone but themselves, Samoa can ill afford to damage their own cause by dropping outspoken captain Mahonri Schwalger for the upcoming Pacific Nations Cup.

The Chiefs hooker predicted his own demise when he filed a post-World Cup report to the Prime Minister last year which was highly critical of the Samoan team management.

Schwalger revealed multiple issues affecting the Samoan World Cup campaign - suggesting some officials were in New Zealand for nothing more than a booze jolly, that weekly fees to the players were less than expected and that team gear was hoarded by management instead of given out to the squad.

After detail of his report was made public, Schwalger told the Sunday Samoan: "I've been threatened for the past five years that I won't be picked in the Manu if I speak out but that never bothered me. I've talked to people inside the union about this issue for the past three years and nothing's been done, so this is the next step because the future of our game is at stake."

True to form, Schwalger has been omitted from Samoa's 35-man squad for the Pacific Nations Cup.

The official reason from newly installed coach Stephen Betham is that the 31-year-old is too old.

Such a claim is a laughably weak attempt to cover up the truth - that Schwalger is being punished for his temerity.

His form for the Chiefs has been good. More than good.

He's kept budding All Black Hika Elliot on the bench for most of the campaign and, judged solely on form, would rank as the second best hooker in New Zealand, behind Andrew Hore.

Too old ... the All Blacks have picked Hore who is 34 and Keven Mealamu who is 33 in their squad.

"I knew it would cost me my international career," Schwalger told the Samoan Observer after news of his non-selection emerged. "If it means that the Manu will go forward without me, then that's a sacrifice I will take. Age means nothing; selection should be based on performance, not age."

Samoa, like many other Tier Two nations, face real problems accessing their best players but they belittle the issue, make it hard to be taken seriously, when they drop their captain as a result of management egos being bruised.

It also undermines Samoa's ability to win the corporate financial backing they desperately need to advance up the world pecking order.

To fund their World Cup campaign last year, they relied on the basic funding package from the IRB, which was about $300,000, Government funding of about $500,000 and the rest came from supporters' groups, fundraising lunches and a $250,000 boost from Auckland businessman Jack Chen.

Potential investors need to see strong governance and bold leadership from the executive - not sense that internal politics can stray into team selections.

Schwalger is happy to be the sacrificial lamb if it leads to a better future for Manu Samoa.

At the moment, it's hard to believe that his omission will serve any higher purpose than providing some of the former management team with an element of revenge.