International Pacific Championship

juju said:
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.
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Papua New Guinea Chiefs certainly opens a new pathway for the arrival of a stronger International side for them.

They will have two teams the Hunters and the Chiefs to start to build some kind of international side from.

I guess the biggest boost will be for local kids up there to enter a pathways system young. Finally have the resources to find the new talent.
 

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sup42 said:
Papua New Guinea Chiefs certainly opens a new pathway for the arrival of a stronger International side for them.

They will have two teams the Hunters and the Chiefs to start to build some kind of international side from.

I guess the biggest boost will be for local kids up there to enter a pathways system young. Finally have the resources to find the new talent.
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Would say Xavier Coates only signed a one year extension at storm to go to PNG in 2027
 
juju said:
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.
Click to expand...
Yeah its great what they have added but I think the bit about them growing the game has been a bit overstated- they're all kiwis and aussies still in reality- even the england team is becoming somewhat diluted while nz have to pick their team with one hand tied behind their backs (thanks origin). If anyone is getting the rough end of the stick at the moment its the kiwis not the pacific nations.
I miss the days when france and wales could field competitive sides too- the game felt a lot bigger to me back in the late 80s (maybe rose colored glasses there) but it would be great to have 2 or 3 teams at least from the northern hemisphere that could challenge the pacific countries- then u could have a legit world cup with serious competition from the quarter finals on.
To me re-establishing the game in the UK would be real growth.
In saying all that... im looking forward to this weeks game- should be a beaut.
 
Playdaball said:
In theory yes, but they had 2 teams in the ESL a few years ago and didnt do any better . I'd love to see a starong French team playing again.
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Yeah but they were only there for one season. Hard to build much off that in one year.

Of course they're talking about bringing back promotion/relegation now so they could end up with the same scenario of just one club again in a years time.
 
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Ref said:
Make SOO only eligible for players who commit to playing for Australia.
If you play SOO and then play for a country other than Australia you can’t play SOO again.
Then see who really wants to play for Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, PNG, Cook Islands, England.
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That would send the international game into the shadow realm. They need to make it less restrictive to play Origin, not more.
 
WA Warrior said:
Ruin the international game to prove a point?
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How will it be ruined? Is it that hard to pick a country to play for and stick with it?

Origin is a joke. The Aussies have changed the eligibility rules so much just to suit themselves, And grab as much Pacific Island & NZ players as they can. That it made International Footy a joke as well. People chopping & changing countries as much as they do their jocks. Pick a fucking nation. And stick with it.
 
The Warrior Waka said:
How will it be ruined? Is it that hard to pick a country to play for and stick with it?

Origin is a joke. The Aussies have changed the eligibility rules so much just to suit themselves, And grab as much Pacific Island & NZ players as they can. That it made International Footy a joke as well. People chopping & changing countries as much as they do their jocks. Pick a fucking nation. And stick with it.
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Because if you make them choose most would probably pick their State jerseys for the prestige, the money and their pride in repping NSW and QLD.

Go back to NZ once in a blue moon upsetting the Kangaroos but Australia dominating the international game and Pacific games played by fringe first graders.

Why all the crying now when Australia and NZ selected players from the island sides like Leota, Tino, Hammer, I Papalii etc etc
Was it ok then because the status quo was the pacific teams were stepping stones for the tier 1 nations?

I look at Kayln Ponga, the rumours he wanted to play for NZ probably because the older he got the more drawn he was to his culture. I would love to see him play for the Kiwis.

The eligibility rules are very loose and I get the frustration sometimes but look at the spectacle we could miss out on Sunday if players like Payne, To’o, I Katoa etc weren’t playing because they wanted to play Origin.
 
WA Warrior said:
Because if you make them choose most would probably pick their State jerseys for the prestige, the money and their pride in repping NSW and QLD.

Go back to NZ once in a blue moon upsetting the Kangaroos but Australia dominating the international game and Pacific games played by fringe first graders.

Why all the crying now when Australia and NZ selected players from the island sides like Leota, Tino, Hammer, I Papalii etc etc
Was it ok then because the status quo was the pacific teams were stepping stones for the tier 1 nations?

I look at Kayln Ponga, the rumours he wanted to play for NZ probably because the older he got the more drawn he was to his culture. I would love to see him play for the Kiwis.

The eligibility rules are very loose and I get the frustration sometimes but look at the spectacle we could miss out on Sunday if players like Payne, To’o, I Katoa etc weren’t playing because they wanted to play Origin.
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Mate. I've watched/played and supported league all my life, 55 years. And Modern rugby league is a joke.
Whose crying? Tino , Hammer(Who is half aboriginal) was born & raised in Oz. Moses born & raised most of his schooling years in NZ. Both Papalii's Born in NZ. Josh until he was 5. Isaiah all his life.
Kayln had no choice. His father was at the mines. Both parents are Kiwis. One a māori, And proud. Sent back to live with his grandparents in NZ to get some grounding in his culture/Tikanga.

I mean, NZ & Australia deserves some respect for providing a base & opportunities to get where they're at today , Right?

I'm afakasi, Samoan & Māori. All I want is for players to choose a nation & stick with it. Origin is just a cash grab for them. It's a joke. Its not the pinnacle for me! International footy is.

If Xavier Willison chose the Cook Islands over NZ. Good on him. Stick with them. If Moses chose Samoa, Good on him. If Tino decides Australia is his nation, Good on him. Just stick to your guns and stay with them. All this chopping & swapping shit between multiple different nations is bs.

I want nothing more than to have International footy as the pinnacle. And I would love nothing more than Tonga/Samoa/Fiji/PNG/Cook Islands challenging NZ /England/NZ for league supremacy every year!
 
WA Warrior said:
Because if you make them choose most would probably pick their State jerseys for the prestige, the money and their pride in repping NSW and QLD.

Go back to NZ once in a blue moon upsetting the Kangaroos but Australia dominating the international game and Pacific games played by fringe first graders.

Why all the crying now when Australia and NZ selected players from the island sides like Leota, Tino, Hammer, I Papalii etc etc
Was it ok then because the status quo was the pacific teams were stepping stones for the tier 1 nations?

I look at Kayln Ponga, the rumours he wanted to play for NZ probably because the older he got the more drawn he was to his culture. I would love to see him play for the Kiwis.

The eligibility rules are very loose and I get the frustration sometimes but look at the spectacle we could miss out on Sunday if players like Payne, To’o, I Katoa etc weren’t playing because they wanted to play Origin.
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My bad if I came across mad aggressive. I'm passionate about International Rugby League bro. And I love where it is heading. Samoa & Tonga are powerful! I want it to stay that way. Hopefully Payne doesn't return to Oz next year. Thats what pisses me off. Stick & commit.
 
WA Warrior said:
Because if you make them choose most would probably pick their State jerseys for the prestige, the money and their pride in repping NSW and QLD.

Go back to NZ once in a blue moon upsetting the Kangaroos but Australia dominating the international game and Pacific games played by fringe first graders.

Why all the crying now when Australia and NZ selected players from the island sides like Leota, Tino, Hammer, I Papalii etc etc
Was it ok then because the status quo was the pacific teams were stepping stones for the tier 1 nations?

I look at Kayln Ponga, the rumours he wanted to play for NZ probably because the older he got the more drawn he was to his culture. I would love to see him play for the Kiwis.

The eligibility rules are very loose and I get the frustration sometimes but look at the spectacle we could miss out on Sunday if players like Payne, To’o, I Katoa etc weren’t playing because they wanted to play Origin.
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Casey McLean chose the Kiwis over Origin he was born breed in Australia & played NSW Under 17 & 19’s
 
The Warrior Waka said:
My bad if I came across mad aggressive. I'm passionate about International Rugby League bro. And I love where it is heading. Samoa & Tonga are powerful! I want it to stay that way. Hopefully Payne doesn't return to Oz next year. Thats what pisses me off. Stick & commit.
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I don't think any players would go back to Oz or kiwis after repping their country of origin.
They just need to let tier 1 country players play origin if they fit all other criteria.
Also at this stage if they only let Aussie players play origin it would gut origin more than it would the island nations imo. Probably why they don't change samoa and tonga to tier 1 nations...
 
j_p said:
I don't think any players would go back to Oz or kiwis after repping their country of origin.
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And I like that. At least it gives the selector's & coach a peace of mind. They know whose available. Not worrying about whether or not they will play for someone else next year. Someone like Jeremiah Nanai, Can play for either one of NZ, Aus & Samoa.
j_p said:
Also at this stage if they only let Aussie players play origin it would gut origin more than it would the island nations imo
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How would it hurt Origin? There's a ton of island players born & bred in Oz. They can still play.
 
Both countries (Samoa and Tonga) have come a long way. Most of the atmosphere at international games in the southern hemisphere now are from the Samoan & Tongan supporters.

This weekend it sounds like there will be a big crowd at Suncorp. I can see this leading to more discussions for having a 3 test series between them. As a nuetral, I'd be keen for that.

Australians, it seems like they turn off after the NRL season. You could argue that their long-term success has led to some apathy around international rugby league. But, they have had a better level of competition the last 5-10 years. The Australian media pushing Origin so hard would also have a flow-on effect as the public see that has the pinnacle instead of test football.

New Zealand, we probably need a consistent team and regular football. A Warriors premiership would also help as well.:)

The other reason I say they have come a long way is that both sides have had issues for the last 10 years or so. More so in the administration or around government and funding.
I can't remember exactly and have had trouble finding details or old articles.

Searching on the Tongan Rugby League team to get details I found the following.

en.wikipedia.org

Tonga national rugby league team - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Formerly administered by the Tonga National Rugby League, the team is now in a state of limbo with administration. They wear a predominantly red uniform with white sides and are associated with the phrase Mate Ma'a Tonga (English: Die for Tonga). They are coached by Australian Kristian Woolf, and captained by Addin Fonua-Blake.

The Togana National Rugby League has the following.
In September 2019 membership of the RLIF was suspended after Semisi Sika, acting-prime minister of Tonga, wrote to the RLIF to advise that TNRL had lost the confidence of the government, the Tongan rugby league clubs and the country's players

Tonga National Rugby League - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

The countries players are doing them proud now. Seeing the scenes recently where they were treated like stars in Tonga was cool to see.
 
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