Fresh Off The Field

Japanese wrestling champion Yuta Abe is now Samoa's national wrestling coach and wants to grow the sport in the Pacific and win golds along the way. Co-host Gabrielle Apelu speak to Abe about the goals for 2026 and where the sport can get to.

As well, Patricia Keamo joins Sam Wykes from Papua New Guinea and they run through all the latest sports news in the worlds of football, cricket, footy, weightlifting, swimming and more.

Selina Seau is a champion para-athlete across many sports and she wants everyone in the Pacific to know that people living with a disability are not different, they are "just like everyone else". Fellow Fiji Paralympian Mere Rodan interviews Seau to hear how sport became her power and outlet and what the journey was like from being a child with a disability to representing her country at the Paralympics.

Also, Kalo Manu-Moli and Taina Basiyalo join Sam Wykes to chat through all the sport going on around the Pacific in the worlds of football, netball, rugby, athletics, paddling and much more.

You might know Marie Hansen from the viral proposal that stole hearts around the world at the 2023 Netball World Cup, but her story goes far beyond that moment. Hansen has been part of Tonga Tala’s remarkable rise, helping the team climb from the bottom of the rankings into the world’s top 10 in just a few years. Fresh off Tonga Tala’s tour celebrating the 150th Constitution, she reflects on the team’s journey and her role in their rapid rise. 

Melissa Fare chats with one of Vanuatu’s most iconic beach volleyball players turned coach, Miller Pata. Meanwhile, Finau Vulivuli sits down with Basketball Fiji’s Chief Operating Officer, William Peter, to talk about Basketball Fiji’s recent success and how the U17s are preparing for the upcoming FIBA U17 Oceania Cup.

Atelini Umu is one of the few women consistently hitting bullseyes in darts as Fiji’s National Darts Champion, and she’s determined to see more women from all backgrounds join the sport. She sits down with journalist and commentator Lailanie Burnes after claiming her second national title.

Sam Wykes relives the energy of the 2025 Pacific Championships with ABC Pacific’s Seni Iasona, while PNG sports journalist Jamie Haro survives her third straight week on Fresh Off The Field.

Making history as Guam’s first-ever Olympic triathlete at the Paris 2024 Games, and the first Pacific Islander to compete in triathlon at the Olympics, Manami Iijima has paved the way for future generations. Despite taking up the sport later than most, she’s become a trailblazer for Pacific athletes, proving it’s never too late to chase your dreams.  

Melissa Fayre and Jamie Haro hop back on the show to catch us up on the latest sports news coming out of Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. Sam shows some love to Tonga after they recently hosted the Oceania Cup & Oceania athletics masters cup championship. 

Moana Liebregts has some big dreams - and she’s well on her way to achieving both: playing in the Olympics and becoming a doctor. The Tongan-Dutch basketballer is balancing medical school with international competition, leading Fiji to victory at the FIBA Women’s Melanesian Cup and winning gold at the Mini Games in Palau. On top of that, she’s coaching the junior girls’ basketball team and championing women’s involvement in the sport, both on and off the court.

PNG sports journalist, Jamie Haro, holds down the fort with Sam Wykes, throwing out some wild trivia guesses that may or may not work in her favour. And despite a few tech hiccups, Fia Laikong still manages to deliver a special interview with rugby player Ashley Palu.

Tabatha Saville grew up in Suva but moved to Australia as a kid and fell in love with the game of cricket, which took her back home recently. Saville talks about representing her culture and getting the chance to see family in Fiji after a long time away, what she hopes Fiji cricket can do in the future and what it's like to play in the same team as your Mum.

Sam Wykes is also joined by Kalo Manu-Moli who takes us to Tonga with their MMT team on home soil as well as Tonga Tala incoming. Plus Finau Vulivuli gives us more Fijian flavour with an interview about their basketball success at the recent Melanesian Cup.

Leo Lebot is part of a young crew of Ni-Van swimmers who, despite the lack of high quality pools in the Pacific, want to put Vanuatu swimming on the map. Co-host Mel Fare chats to Lebot about his story, highlights so far competing around the world and more.

Sam Wykes is also joined by Taina Basiyalo who brings news in cricket, rugby union, league as well as a chat around a new basketball program in Fiji which has taken off.

There's plenty more local sports news and our usual games and laughs too.

Gloria Hong is one of the chief organisers for the FIBA Melanesian Cup basketball tournament in Honiara next week and we hear her story rising the ranks of sports leadership in the Pacific. 

Hong tells us about the challenges of knowing or being related to everyone in basketball in her region, how important respect is in her field and how exciting it's going to be to have the tournament back where the Pacific Games were in 2023.

Joining Sam Wykes is Lailanie Burnes and Patricia Keamo to talk through news in the world of football, rugby league, cricket, rugby union, squash, bodybuilding and more.

Evangeline Taylor-Pati is a two time strongest champion in the Pacific and believes that the sport is made for Samoans to excel. Chatting to Gabrielle Apelu, Taylor-Pati talks about how she got into lifting, why it helps in breaking down barriers and what her favourite elements of the competition are.

Also, PNG journalist Lisa Puni brings an interview with basketball coach John Fred and his transition from playing to coaching.

Plus Cynthia Seda joins Sam Wykes on the show to talk Solomon Islands sport inclusion and there's news in the worlds of netball, cricket, football, rugby league and union and even archery!