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2018 Pacific Test Invitational - Sat 23 June @ Campbelltown - SAM v TON / lebanese v PNG(???)

Burns

First Grade
Messages
6,037
"The mighty warriors of the Pacific come back to Campbelltown Sports Stadium in 2018 for the annual NRL Pacific Test.

Fresh out of the Rugby League World Cup, Pacific powerhouses Tonga and Samoa have been announced as the first matchup in what will be the biggest international event on the 2018 Rugby League calendar!"

http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=PACIFICT18

If you click through to the ticket purchase page, there are supporter bays for PNG and Lebanon. So not 100% confirmation, but would seem likely.

Fiji, Cook Islands left out?
 

Billythekid

First Grade
Messages
6,560
I'd rather it in NZ but I won't complain, any international matches is better than none.

PNG v Lebanon would be a strange choice. I'm not sure how much interest there would be in that match. Also hopefully we get to see more of PNG actually playing in PNG.

As I said though the more international league the better, hoping for more announcements.
 

jim_57

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
4,287
Can we just keep it as PNG V Fiji and Tonga V Samoa for Melanesia & Polynesia cups? So simple and could really make events out of these. Only add to it if we ever get more weekends to work with.

Ideally you could have
  • NZ V England & Tonga V Samoa - Auckland
  • PNG V Fiji - Alternated home games.
Then everyone else can work out games around it but these should be the staples of the weekend.
 

Perth Tiger

Bench
Messages
3,022
with only 1 week (less really) to work with it makes sense to hold it in Sydney where the majority of players are coming from. If it was held in PNG or Fiji the teams would barely be able to have 1 training session by the time everyone came together from their various club sides.

When we get to a 3 week international break we can consider playing the games elsewhere.
 

Billythekid

First Grade
Messages
6,560
Can we just keep it as PNG V Fiji and Tonga V Samoa for Melanesia & Polynesia cups? So simple and could really make events out of these. Only add to it if we ever get more weekends to work with.

Ideally you could have
  • NZ V England & Tonga V Samoa - Auckland
  • PNG V Fiji - Alternated home games.
Then everyone else can work out games around it but these should be the staples of the weekend.

This is exactly what I want.
 

Springs09

Juniors
Messages
1,903
Surely PNG v Fiji and Cook Islands v Lebanon?

Let's hope the NRL has some balls and forces the clubs to release players.

Looking at Ticketek it has two other supporter bays that aren't allocated to a team yet.
 

Perth Tiger

Bench
Messages
3,022
By Perth tigers logic NZ v England should be in Sydney too
;)

Not quite, I was more referring to the proposed PNG Fiji and/or Lebanon game. Given the crowds for Samoa and Tonga in NZ and reasonable ease to get to Auckland, NZ should host those games.

believe me I and all for the international game but the reality is unless we bring the NRL clubs (and to a lesser extent super league clubs) along they will just start pulling out players with injuries for these games.
 

IntRLEnthusiast

Juniors
Messages
127
Campbelltown sold out last year, put the right teams together and it could be worth going for a bigger stadium. Although England are not there.
 

roughyedspud

Coach
Messages
12,181
The massive problem is the Tongans & Samoans don't own their game

The Aussies have the TV rights and clowns like mascord are suggesting the kiwis should take charge of it too reap the benefits and ease the NZRL financial woes..

bleeding vultures
 
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Perth Tiger

Bench
Messages
3,022
The massive problem is the Tongans & Samoans don't own their game

The Aussies have the TV rights and clowns like mascord are suggesting the kiwis should take charge of it too reap the benefits and ease the NZRL financial woes..

bleeding vultures
True

At the moment the NRL have a poor record of developing the game in Aus (look at NRLWA) but I am wondering if in a perfect world the NRL commission took development of the game at grass root levels seriously if it would be better for NZRL and all the Island to come under the same umbrella organization. That way they could pool resources and very professional player from those places will gravitate to the NRL anyway
 

jim_57

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
4,287
with only 1 week (less really) to work with it makes sense to hold it in Sydney where the majority of players are coming from. If it was held in PNG or Fiji the teams would barely be able to have 1 training session by the time everyone came together from their various club sides.

When we get to a 3 week international break we can consider playing the games elsewhere.

If England can manage a trip to NZ, Aus based players can manage a trip to PNG, Fiji or Auckland.

With the break on the same time in the Northern Hemisphere it will be interesting to see how many Aus based players turn up for Ireland, Wales, Italy etc... (I'm tipping 0). France, Wales, Ireland & Italy playing each other every year rotating would be good too.
 
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titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
5,276
So for the rep weekend we have locked in:
State of Origin 2
New Zealand v England
Tonga v Samoa

I don't like PNG v Lebanon - Pacific Tests are for Pacific nations and Fiji will get left out. For the sake of their international development PNG and Fiji are a good match up in the Pac tests for the foreseeable future. Looks like the Pacific tests are here to stay though which is awesome.

Lebanon should focus on playing European nations and use Lebanese based players to do so.
 

roughyedspud

Coach
Messages
12,181
I've not got a issue with Lebanon playing down under during the test weekend,as long as they draft in a few domestics..

But yeah Fiji should be playing PNG.. Lebanon v cook islands would be a good match up..

I wonder if Fiji are being lined up to play mal's emerging roos??
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
5,276
I've not got a issue with Lebanon playing down under during the test weekend,as long as they draft in a few domestics..

But yeah Fiji should be playing PNG.. Lebanon v cook islands would be a good match up..

I wonder if Fiji are being lined up to play mal's emerging roos??

I have no problem with that if it happens. If Australia A are active each year on rep weekend against Pacific or even France then that is a good thing for the game. Even though it is not a full international, it is an indication that Australia want to be involved and provides quality opposition for whoever they play.
 

BuderusIsaBeast

Juniors
Messages
554
I highly doubt Fiji or the Cook Islands will be left out. They might be playing each other or both have different opponents such as France and another country. They might be playing at a different venue or before the Nz vs England game
 

kiwileaguefan

Juniors
Messages
2,426
Makes sense to play in one ground....i mean why would we not build on the 24,000 that just came and watched Tonga vs NZ?

Lets play it in Aussie, in front of less than 20,000...lets keep doing what we have been doing...

f**k me our game will continue to grow at a snails pace........
 

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