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1st ever test between Samoa and New Zealand

hutch

First Grade
Messages
6,810
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10649185

The Kiwis will build up for the end-of-year Four Nations tournament with an historic first meeting with Samoa, the New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) said today.
The test will be played at Auckland's Mount Smart Stadium on October 16, seven days before the Kiwis' Four Nations opener against England in Wellington.
Chief executive Jim Doyle said the NZRL was committed to building stronger ties with its Pacific neighbours.
Over the past two years, the Kiwis have built up for the World Cup and the Four Nations with tests against Tonga in Auckland and in Rotorua.
Doyle said such matches were valuable to coach Stephen Kearney, who was able to use players with limited or nor involvement in the National Rugby League or Super League playoffs.
Samoa have been playing rugby league Internationals since 1988 - as Western Samoa until 1997 - and have faced the New Zealand Maori on a number of occasions.
Samoan Rugby League chairman Peter Paul was excited both countries would at last meet in a test.





"With such close relationships between the two countries and so many of our players making it in the best league competitions in the world, it is very important that we continue to offer them the chance to shine at an international level," he said.
"We were disappointed to miss out on the Pacific Cup last year and we need tests against the world's best to ensure we are better prepared for such tournaments in the future."


im surprised these countries have never met before. i wonder what other tests samoa will be playing at the end of the year, and if there is a chance they will ever play a test at home with a full strength line up. that would be great for the game.
 

hutch

First Grade
Messages
6,810
i heard england are also playing a warm up game in auckland, hopefully it is also a test match v tonga, fiji or the cook islands. wouldnt mind seeing a rematch of the england v tonga game from a few years ago!!!

come to think of it, im sure i read somewhere a while back that australian might be playing the cook islands before the 4 nations. i guess that leaves png v fiji to be played as well! not bad for a sport only played in nsw and qld as some people like to tell us!
 

babyg

Juniors
Messages
1,512
NZ should be playing at least 3 test like this every year. Aussies get the origins
 

1 Eyed TEZZA

Coach
Messages
12,420
Yeah I heard NZ vs Tonga was a great game last year. Listened to a radio broadcast. Was great to hear how close Tonga went with Mateo steering them around.

Is it confirmed that England will play Tonga?

This should be mandatory, nations to play a warm up test before the 4Nations. (the PMXIII shouldnt count)
 

RedVee

First Grade
Messages
5,853
Yes, but surely this is the point of pay TV and the additional digital channels. Show these games to fill some timeslots, I'm sure there are a few (quite a few) that will either watch or set up the IQ or Tivo to record.
 

Bluebags1908

Juniors
Messages
1,258
Judas Israel Folau comes from Minto (Campbelltown - even though he is despised in Sydney as he pays for Queensland), and is of Tongan heritage.

I read today that New Zealand are playing Samoa in a 4 Nations warm-up international at Mount Smart Stadium. So surely Australia also need a warm up game?

So why don't we give the AFL a dose of reality and have the Kangaroos vs Tonga national team at Campbelltown? They can crap on about their 6 million dollar man, but RL can actually stage an international match between Australia and Folau's nation of heritage in his so-called home town (even though he has no connection to the area Rugby League wise and is despised in Sydney). Something the AFL can only dream of doing.
 

roughyedspud

Coach
Messages
12,181
So surely Australia also need a warm up game?

So why don't we give the AFL a dose of reality and have the Kangaroos vs Tonga national team at Campbelltown?

australia v cook islands was rumoured a few weeks ago

which would leave england / png v fiji / tonga as 4nations warm ups
 

BDH

Juniors
Messages
340
The NZRL needs help from ex-players. Guys like Freeman, Wiki, Lowe, etc should form a "FOGS' type organisation to foster this type of competition.

The ARL (funded by the NRL) could subsidise a "Island Origin" type competition, with a contract that players are eligible to to represent relevant nations, as long as it doesn't interfere with Australian & NZ Representative activities.

If Samoa, Tongan, Cook Islands and a NZ "residents" (seconds) teams played regularly (at least bi-anually), it would have to help grow the popularity in the Union dominated islands.

Growth of the NRL is always spoken about, but we always overlook the most obvious player base in the Southern Hemisphere- Polynesians and New Zealander's. If time and money was spent in NZ, the untold thousands of Union juniors might seriously consider RL as a professional option. Union has the country on lockdown, but the potential for multiple NRL teams based out of NZ is huge.
 

RedVee

First Grade
Messages
5,853
Judas Israel Folau comes from Minto (Campbelltown - even though he is despised in Sydney as he pays for Queensland), and is of Tongan heritage.
.

It is funny - you had the press stories of a couple of years ago of the 3 NRL playe rs allfrom within a couple of streets of each other growing up in Minto. Folau, Haynes & Inu. One plays for NSW, one for Qld and one for NZ. Bizarre.
 

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