It's the monopoly of ARL/NRL.
Unless bigger politics and money backed the international game and eligibility rules made proper sense then it will remain a third rate entertainment model.
International Pacific Championship
- Thread starter Shogun
- Start date
Unless bigger politics and money backed the international game and eligibility rules made proper sense then it will remain a third rate entertainment model.
NZWarriors.com
Mate, the game and crowd on the weekend was incredible entertainment and this weekends game will probably be even better.
Not the players playing. The business model. As in who profits? Who promotes and sells the game? Who governs the game?
NZWarriors.com
Solve the issue of getting Kiwis and Kangaroos fan's to support with the same spirit as Samoa and Tonga - and the game has an amazing product to sell live and as a TV package each year.
Sort the tiered nation / soo eligibility out . Make match payments equal for all the teams.
The governance is a small issue really - The NRL seem to promote it the most via their channels as it stand.
Getting that out of the greedy control mad hands of who currently has it is as likely as Titans v Tigers grand final next season.
However, your solutions are bang on.
NZWarriors.com
Oh yes,kodi is hurt as I remember.
Would’ve been handy this year but Hammer just said at the fan day in Brisbane he’s playing for Samoa at the World Cup.
NZWarriors.com
We have some options in the back 5
Hammer
Crichton
May
To'o
Mariner
RTS
Fa'alogo
Taulagi
Tago
Karapani
Hammer, Crichton and To'o are all locks to me to start. The others can fight for the last 2 spots.
NZWarriors.com
View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQEQDM5Ef31/?igsh=MW8yZGV3bGxzODRqdw==
Bros had a few too many coke zeros
That is just bloody brilliant.
What a life saving injection Samoa and Tonga been to a dying sport.
Keep it coming, bring out the fun, amp it up.
Gee I hope Samoa win the tournament. I know I know, I am meant to say the my Kiwis, but I can see a much bigger picture, the Kiwis can win any time, they're world cup holders of times past.
This is the time for a new story. This is the time to welcome a third winning nation in the Pacific, to win over a whole new audience.
I don’t think the 6 and 7 were convincing for Samoa
Picking a Tonga Kiwi s final
Picking a Tonga Kiwi s final
NZWarriors.com
Which new audience is that? Samoa is a pretty small market and most of them already follow league.
If we really want a legitimate international sport we need the northern hemisphere teams stronger.
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Yeah I know... I want Samoa to win over Tonga this weekend but I also want Tonga to win because that means the Kiwi's make the final
be a good game either way, the crowd will be wildThe expected attendance, fan turnout & viewing figures for the first game probably all justify why the tourney final is being played in Aussie.
We need a big sugar daddy team like India is to cricket that brings in all the cash and gives the illusion of it being some massive global sport.
We need a big sugar daddy team like India is to cricket that brings in all the cash and gives the illusion of it being some massive global sport.
NZWarriors.com
The game needs to take care of Samoa as a priority.
I believe it would be a gross mistake to assume everything is gravy with the Samoan market share/fan engagement.
I think the Cronies that run this sport today are no wiser than their predecessors, the same kinds of people who were directly responsible for killing off the British Lions brand. the neglect of test series, are just as capable today of making the mistake of undervaluing the Samoan fan base by assuming it is locked in.
Lets remind ourselves where Tongan and Samoan fan engagement was before the Jason Taumalolo move.
Few Tongans and Samoans attending games relative to the scenes we see now, the Samoan crowd size is growing at grounds, it is still behind the Tongan numbers.
The NRL didn't create this market, they neglected it for decades, same with the NZRL, they didn't have a clue about what they were overlooking by plundering the pacific nations teams for their own selfish needs.
When the first Jason Taumalolo side took the field the Rugby league world was stunned, the NRL were completely shocked, everyone was. Even though I knew....I knew all these years that the Island teams could elevate this sport if they had their players....seeing it was still a shock.
The NRL were so caught off guard that they hadn't put together a decent follow up schedule, they were still stuck in their backwards 'lets play in out at Penrith' small minded planning....when who knew....Mt Smart...the sea of red, Tongan flags on every street, jam packed motorways, a sea of red.....
Samoa are a couple of years behind the Tongan scene, what I mean by that, is they are still fighting to get the best of their players to represent, their fans are increasingly on board, but what is missing? they haven't won a comp yet....
Nothing is secured until they win a comp. Once they win a comp, they will start to be on an equal footing with Tonga and NZ as far as players wanting to play for Samoa.
Also as far as the world game goes, these teams in this Pacific format are capable of turning out the most violent and exciting unpredictable form of the game, that is what you market to the world, not that dry balls origin shit, you show them the Polynesian bash fest and sell the code purely on the one thing this code has going for it - it is just better to watch.
And these teams, the Island teams, are new, that is your marketing right there 'this is new' get piece of this world...you ask what new audience? a global audience.
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The first test in England has nearly sold out Wembley stadium so they're strong.
Not sure the other countries will ever get closer.
We could nearly have a 5 nations annual tournament that could be compelling if the season window and money for participation was right.