Internationals 2019 Oceania Cup

[playdaball]

[QUOTE="bruce, post: 811566, member:

They were not Tonga. They were a bunch of professionals with various degrees of Tongan ancestry.

None of them live or play in Tonga, most were not even born there, some are not even full Tongan.
[/QUOTE]

Same applies to the Kiwis, many do not live or play here, many are not full Nz’ers - some Cook Islanders, Samoan or Tongan.

The same would apply to AUssie too.

Welcome to 2019 Bruce.

 

[bruce]

[QUOTE="bruce, post: 811566, member:

They were not Tonga. They were a bunch of professionals with various degrees of Tongan ancestry.

None of them live or play in Tonga, most were not even born there, some are not even full Tongan.

Same applies to the Kiwis, many do not live or play here, many are not full Nz’ers - some Cook Islanders, Samoan or Tongan.

The same would apply to AUssie too.

Welcome to 2019 Bruce.
[/QUOTE]
Bullshit, but the Aussies will sort it. Tonga should not have beaten the Aussies tonight. I am wrapped they did, especially for the Tongan lady sitting next to me. They should have made it close...but not a win. Mark my words they will be sorry.

 

[Fonzie]

Is this a fact and wheres this from? Says top of pool b joins pool a next year, nothing about relegation from pool a.

This is not correct. Australia go to England next year and don’t take part. Fiji takes Australia’s place.

 

[Worried2Death]

However you look at it Tonga just became the kings of the RL world tonight by becoming the third team to beat the Kangaroos in the modern era. They're so physically gifted for this game it was inevitable but I still can't believe how quickly they've risen to the top after that fateful day Dave and Jase decided to go with their hearts over phoney loyalies and money.

The purpose of the two tier system was to lift the island nations up and ultimately make the concept of tiers redundant, and Tonga have achieved that tonight, nothing but admiration for anyone who can beat the Aussies at their own game, arohanui boys, Ofa atu, die for Tonga.

 

[wallacenz]

However you look at it Tonga just became the kings of the RL world tonight by becoming the third team to beat the Kangaroos in the modern era. They're so physically gifted for this game it was inevitable but I still can't believe how quickly they've risen to the top after that fateful day Dave and Jase decided to go with their hearts over phoney loyalies and money.

The purpose of the two tier system was to lift the island nations up and ultimately make the concept of tiers redundant, and Tonga have achieved that tonight, nothing but admiration for anyone who can beat the Aussies at their own game, arohanui boys, Ofa atu, die for Tonga.

phoney loyalties? grew up in NZ and AUS but any loyalty they had to those countries was phoney?

 

[Worried2Death]

phoney loyalties? grew up in NZ and AUS but any loyalty they had to those countries was phoney?

Must have felt phoney to them when you see what they've achieved when their hearts are truly in it, you can't buy that kind of pride. Don't get me wrong, the boys still in the Kiwi jumper bleed just as much for us, look no further than Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, NAS and Benji's tears. It's all about where your heart is. For one guy it's the island you grew up on, for another guy it's the one your mother and father did. Your heart's not something you can stamp a passport on.

 

[Sup42]

Just watched the tests without knowing the results.

Gotta talk about the last game first because of the significance to the sport as a whole. League desperately needs the new life Tonga has breathed into the game, its a dying sport, the pacific nations just might save it.
'
Tongas defence was next level, thats where they won it, Pleasing to see a Polynesian style with the big hitting bring back some of the old school that the Kiwis once represented.

I’ve been an honorary Tongan supporter since the 1980s. Finally guys, we did it !

Beating NZ was massive, the first step, now the team know they can beat any and all of them.

As for the Kiwis, good hard boring test, good win.

 

[playdaball]

How long nowuntil Samoa do a Tonga and end up with a number of their best players turning out in blue and white?
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, SBW, Josh Papalili, Ah Mau, Big Ken etc?

If the Cooks qualify for the WC vs USA, will we see Napa, Rapana, Manu, Glen etc turning out for them?

Same for NZ too. Will we see some of the young kids in the Aussie system pull on black and white jerseys?

 

[wallacenz]

Must have felt phoney to them when you see what they've achieved when their hearts are truly in it, you can't buy that kind of pride. Don't get me wrong, the boys still in the Kiwi jumper bleed just as much for us, look no further than Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, NAS and Benji's tears. It's all about where your heart is. For one guy it's the island you grew up on, for another guy it's the one your mother and father did. Your heart's not something you can stamp a passport on.

I feel sorry for your kids, which 1 do you love and which 1s do you 'phony' love

I really find the idea offensive to NZ that the only reason these guys ever played for this country was because they could get something out of it. Love of the country is like love of a family, if that country supported you and helped you throughout your life surely you should feel some love for it, not just use it for whatever you can get.

 

[Sky Waka]

Tonga should've got a penalty try when Kotoni Staggs was tackled high 1 meter from the try line. At least someone should've gone to the bin.

 

[ShaunJohnson7]

Heyzeuss spare me. I come back from quite an experience and hear this shite.

They were not Tonga. They were a bunch of professionals with various degrees of Tongan ancestry.

None of them live or play in Tonga, most were not even born there, some are not even full Tongan.

However it was an unforgettable experience for me. The Tongan fans were just amazing. I thought the English fans were the best in the world, I take that back, the Tongans are.

The Eden Park Trust Board must be wetting their pants, that has to be the biggest crowd all year apart from the All Blacks.

Now the Tongans are back in Pool B. That is what happens when Australians get involved. They will be farking livid about what happened tonight. This bollocks was supposed to make money and weaken the Koiwois, not to have our Kangaroos pants down and rogered. Don't come the raw prawn with me son.

Also the Poms would have been sore tonight after the game last week, so I reckon the Kiwis had better up the effort next week.

Now how do players as useless as Hurrell and Lolohea take part in a display like that, and it was a display ladies and jellybeans, have no doubt about that. That is what happens when a 25000 crowd gets behind you, singing and cheering non stop, and you also have some top ex Kangaroos and Kiwis in your side. Go figure it out, because the ARL will be for sure.

Lmfao what is this shite? You are gonna questions the players who literally give up potentially 100s of thousands of dollars so they can represent Tonga for free? You see the pasion of the players and fans, did you see Tupou, Jennings and Fifitas reacation to winning? Lmfao this post is just trash, that was the most awesome thing I have seen, all these players are playing for their heritage and their nation and turning down money to play for free and you question that? Fifita is such a traitor 🤣🤣

 

[bruce]

Lmfao what is this shite? You are gonna questions the players who literally give up potentially 100s of thousands of dollars so they can represent Tonga for free? You see the pasion of the players and fans, did you see Tupou, Jennings and Fifitas reacation to winning? Lmfao this post is just trash, that was the most awesome thing I have seen, all these players are playing for their heritage and their nation and turning down money to play for free and you question that? Fifita is such a traitor 🤣🤣

This does nothing for international rugby league. What is does is show that Tongans have tremendous pride in their heritage and the international rugby league is happy to make money out of it. Simple as that.

 

[Rizzah]

This does nothing for international rugby league. What is does is show that Tongans have tremendous pride in their heritage and the international rugby league is happy to make money out of it. Simple as that.

Booooo

 

[bruce]

Booooo

Just watch what the Aussies do now mate...just watch. One swallow doesn't make a summer.

 

[tajhay]

This does nothing for international rugby league. What is does is show that Tongans have tremendous pride in their heritage and the international rugby league is happy to make money out of it. Simple as that.

What makes a true Tongan Bruce? That they were born there? That they spent a considerable amount of time there? That they didn't represent another country's rep team before? What is it as I have a shitload of examples I want to run by you to see if those players who represented the kiwis, were infact kiwis according to you. Btw did you tell the old Tongan lady next to you why she supports Tonga since she lives in NZ?

 

[brightman]

This does nothing for international rugby league. What is does is show that Tongans have tremendous pride in their heritage and the international rugby league is happy to make money out of it. Simple as that.

Agreed, well see how long this lasts now the Kangaroos have egg on their face. I can see their match payments being increased by way of SOO eligibility just to keep the future TPJ type players.
Won't be long till Andrew Fafita gets rubbed out by the NRL or Taumalolo is suspended over a test match period. In other words the same shit the Kiwis have had to deal with for decades..

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Better get used to it Bruce, NRL ethnicity figures show that 45% of NRL players have Pasifika heritage (I'd imagine Maori are included in that).

The tide has changed and we have new powerhouses emerging. Australia will be alright, but NZ is likely to struggle in the future.

 

[bruce]

What makes a true Tongan Bruce?

People can choose their nationality I guess. However in football one you choose you stay there, end of story. No further problems. That is why Ryan Giggs never played for England.

Btw did you tell the old Tongan lady next to you why she supports Tonga since she lives in NZ?

The lady was an absolute gem.

She wasn't from Auckland and she was a Kiwi. My guess in that where she came from in NZ (not saying) she was not a league fan. She was there with her extended family to support Tonga. Before the game she just hoped they didn't get beaten by too much.

Like I said before it was a wonderful experience. All the Tongans around sang loudly, both the NZ anthem and the Tongan anthem. They cheered the Kiwis as well, really loudly. I have never seen Kiwi crowds like that.

Until the game at MSS I didn't appreciate the depth of feeling Tongans have for their culture, and good on them. The cheers for the Tongan players when the teams were announced was amazing as well. The boys would have felt very proud.

However the reality is this fake thing has seriously depleted the depth of the Kiwi side. I think they can recover I just hope the Aussies do as I expect they will and make it harder for the top Tongan players to play.

Us Kiwi dinosaurs were really pissed off at the disrespect shown to the Kiwi jersey by the Tongan boys. Yes ladies and jellybeans it was serious disrespect. I don't think many Tongan people understood that. Have no doubt the Aussies will not see it as politely.

 

[Mr. Muller]

What a night lol Bruce You saw first hand and experienced the singing, the crowd support, the whole thing and still come away saying that the reality is this is a ‘fake thing’ umm ok lol

 

[playdaball]

How do the Warriors get those Tongan supporters to MSS?