But after falling just short of beating England on Saturday, Samoa claimed the game should at least have gone into extra time.

Matt Parish's unheralded island side twice snatched the lead from its  big-name opponents at Suncorp Stadium before losing 32-26 and coach  Parish was fuming over a 64th-minute try to utility forward Joel Tomkins.

The Wigan star ended up with the ball after it rebounded off centre Michael Shenton: "The one that was a knock-on," is how Parish described it, "every day of the week in the NRL. I don't even know why we went to the video ref."

But Saturday night's opening Four Nations game was more about rugby league finally finding a fourth nation to foot it with the big boys. Australia beat Fiji 64-0 in a World Cup semi-final last year.

"We're here to compete but we're also here to win," said Parish, "we blew a great opportunity".

"The pleasing thing was when I went into the dressing room, everyone had their heads down. I didn't have to say anything."

The Samoans hit the front when Daniel Vidot crossed in the 30th minute and again when replacement hooker Pita Godinet crossed for his second in the 60th.

England's Tomkins brothers saved the day for Steve McNamara's men. After Joel's try, fullback Sam came up with the ball after contesting a bomb with Tim Simona.

On the field, referee Gerard Sutton ruled he had knocked on. But video referee Henry Perenara correctly found that it had come off Tomkins' chest, and awarded the match-winner.

McNamara and captain James Graham put a positive spin on an unexpectedly narrow victory – their only preparation for Sunday's AAMI Park encounter with Australia.

"We've got a brand new team, we've travelled from one side of the world to the other, we've had nine days to get ready, they were pretty extreme conditions for an Englishman out there," McNamara said.

"We had to dig ourselves out of some bad places at the moment to get the win. It sets the team up to improve over the coming weeks."

Canterbury's Graham added: "This isn't an excuse but we have been together a week less than the other teams."

Sam Tomkins could face a video review for a leg-twist on Simona in the 53rd minute. Super League man of steel Daryl Clark made an immediate impression when he set up a try with his first touch – but then collapsed to the ground when he was bent awkwardly in a tackle just before the break. Castleford's Clark continued playing but will undergo tests on Sunday. "There was no high contact in that," Parish said.

The stand-in skipper – Sean O'Loughlin will be back next week – copped a knock to the cheek but said: "I don't think there's any structural damage."

Graham spoke to Sutton at full-time about the distance between the teams. "There were times where the 10 felt a bit big but it was probably the same for both teams," he said.

Asked why we don't see thrilling attack like the Samoans' at club level, Parish answered: "Probably you don't get as many Polynesians in the same team in the NRL."

Samoa take on New Zealand at Whangarei on Saturday.