Phil Gould's latest articles from the SMH

[roopy]

<H1>Tongans should play for Tonga

Phil Gould | October 19, 2008

A message to the World Cup organisers: Wake up to yourselves - let the boys play. If I say the names Taniela Tuiaki and Fuifui Moimoi, do they sound as if they might be Tongan?
I think they sound Tongan. Do you think they sound Tongan?
Then why the bloody hell aren't they allowed to play for Tonga in the coming Rugby League World Cup?
These blokes have been prevented from playing for their country of heritage because qualification rules say they have previously chosen to play for New Zealand.
Can anyone else see how unbelievably stupid this ruling appears? The ruling body says if they let them play it will devalue the credibility of the tournament.
Let me say, a ruling like this does infinitely more harm to the credibility of the tournament than you could ever imagine.
It's not as though some bloke called Billy Bloggs has stowed away on a boat to the islands and is trying to con himself into an international football team where he doesn't belong.
It's not as if they have invented a great, great grandmother who once had a holiday in Tonga and tried to use it as a means of qualifying themselves to play for another country because they're not good enough to play for Australia.
Tonga doesn't get the chance to play in too many Test series. These footballers, quite understandably, took an opportunity a couple of years ago to further their careers by making themselves available for the Kiwis, who play their fair share of Test football every year.
However, in one of these rare opportunities where a league minnow such as Tonga get to play on the big stage against the big boys, surely, in the best interests of the game and all concerned, these players should be allowed to represent their country of heritage.
The Tongan team has been dealt a raw deal.
And don't even get me started on Anthony Tupou, either.
Australia's dominance of the international game has done irreparable harm to the code. This was a chance to put something back into the game, by letting Tupou represent Tonga, and they blew it.
Anyway, back to Tuiaki and Moimoi. They are bloody Tongan. They want to play for Tonga. Let them play! The fans would thank the tournament organisers if they did.

</H1>
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/tongans-should-play-for-tonga/2008/10/18/1223750401833.html

 

[pcpp]

Phil Gould's latest articles from the SMH:

http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/new...ld-in-world-cup/2008/10/18/1223750401819.html

In our 100th year of rugby league, the World Cup should be used as a vehicle to celebrate the multi-racial nature of our great game. To my mind, in such a special tournament as this, all other nations should have been allowed to select their strongest possible teams before Australia selected their squad.
We have more than enough players in the NRL to pick a winning team. We could pick five Australian teams. We could even pick a team made up of former NRL players currently playing in the English Super League and still win the World Cup.
I love watching the Australian team play. I love seeing the best players in our game come together in the green and gold to display their wonderful talents.
They never let us down, either. Every Australian team through history has played with tremendous heart and commitment.
But I see this as a great opportunity to sell our game to the wider audience - to have kids watching in places such as Papua New Guinea, Wales, the Pacific Islands or even in outback Australia, and have the players wearing their national colours inspire them.
Other nations should have been given every possible opportunity to come to this competition with the best sides imaginable.
All players in the NRL with even a remote attachment to other countries should be given the chance to play.
It's not about who wins the tournament. There is only one winner. Australia win the cup. Do as much spin-doctoring as you like. Talk up as many of the other teams as you like. No other nation can get near Australia in this competition.
I'm not at all interested in who wins the Rugby League World Cup. Winning plays second fiddle to the experience of rugby league fans watching players represent their countries of heritage with heart and passion.
However, I'm really interested in seeing just how many different countries, lives and different walks of life the game of rugby league has touched during its 100-year history.
A large number of NRL players will get the opportunity to play in the colours of other nations, such as New Zealand, Scotland, PNG, Tonga and Samoa.
Not to mention the Indigenous Dreamtime Team, playing New Zealand Maori in the curtain-raiser to Sunday's Australia-New Zealand match. I believe they'll be the drawcard of the tournament.
Their families and supporters should be out in force to follow their teams and I urge all rugby league fans to get along and enjoy the action with them.
The games between Australia and arch rivals England and New Zealand will hold interest, as they always do.
However, the rest of the games between other nations could provide some stunning entertainment.
I can't imagine anyone pulling on a Scottish or Irish jersey and not being prepared to give everything they have for their country. Hell, I'm going to be there just to listen to the singing in the grandstands.
Samoa, Fiji and Tonga should be very entertaining to watch. I expect their talents and unique skill sets to be ignited by a carefree and celebratory nature, the likes of which we don't often see in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the win-at-all-costs NRL premiership.
Most of the pool games between other nations will be exciting to watch.
If you are a true rugby league fan, for your own sake, please don't miss them.

http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/tongans-should-play-for-tonga/2008/10/18/1223750401833.html

A message to the World Cup organisers: Wake up to yourselves - let the boys play. If I say the names Taniela Tuiaki and Fuifui Moimoi, do they sound as if they might be Tongan?
I think they sound Tongan. Do you think they sound Tongan?
Then why the bloody hell aren't they allowed to play for Tonga in the coming Rugby League World Cup?
These blokes have been prevented from playing for their country of heritage because qualification rules say they have previously chosen to play for New Zealand.
Can anyone else see how unbelievably stupid this ruling appears? The ruling body says if they let them play it will devalue the credibility of the tournament.
Let me say, a ruling like this does infinitely more harm to the credibility of the tournament than you could ever imagine.
It's not as though some bloke called Billy Bloggs has stowed away on a boat to the islands and is trying to con himself into an international football team where he doesn't belong.
It's not as if they have invented a great, great grandmother who once had a holiday in Tonga and tried to use it as a means of qualifying themselves to play for another country because they're not good enough to play for Australia.
Tonga doesn't get the chance to play in too many Test series. These footballers, quite understandably, took an opportunity a couple of years ago to further their careers by making themselves available for the Kiwis, who play their fair share of Test football every year.
However, in one of these rare opportunities where a league minnow such as Tonga get to play on the big stage against the big boys, surely, in the best interests of the game and all concerned, these players should be allowed to represent their country of heritage.
The Tongan team has been dealt a raw deal.
And don't even get me started on Anthony Tupou, either.
Australia's dominance of the international game has done irreparable harm to the code. This was a chance to put something back into the game, by letting Tupou represent Tonga, and they blew it.
Anyway, back to Tuiaki and Moimoi. They are bloody Tongan. They want to play for Tonga. Let them play! The fans would thank the tournament organisers if they did.

 

[jim_57]

What rubbish in the first one. I have never minded too much when other teams beat Australia but now I'm starting to think I would be happy just to shut these people up.

Australia's depth is not what it's made out to be if you ask me, look what a few injuries can do, we have guys like Perry and Boyd who are decent but not International Standard.

As for a team of Australian SL players V England, I'd like to see that, my prediction would be England by 40+

 

[Calixte]

f**k off Gould.

We want you to have nothing to do with the coverage of the RLWC.

Nein do us one favour in your collective lifetimes...

PS. The belated "I now (somewhat) respect international RL" line is just that, too f**king late...

 

[jim_57]

If I say the names Taniela Tuiaki and Fuifui Moimoi, do they sound as if they might be Tongan?
I think they sound Tongan. Do you think they sound Tongan?
Then why the bloody hell aren't they allowed to play for Tonga in the coming Rugby League World Cup?

My brother has a French last name, I'll have tell him he can play for France :roll:

 

[The Clan]

I'm no fan of Gould but he's bloody right on this one!

 

[The Clan]

A weak Ausie 1st team is vulnerable to defeat by England and New Zealand so where does Gould get this 5th choice or team of retires SL players could win the WC from.

The blokes a total gobsh!te

 

[deluded pom?]

Read your last two posts back TC. Talk about contradicting yourself. Gould talks rubbish in the first article but I can see his logic in the second one regarding allowing the "other" teams to choose their squad before Australia. The only problem with this is that you can't force players to play for someone else if they think they have a chance to play for Australia. What you could do is inform these players that if they turn down an invite to play for one of the "others" and fail to make the Australia squad then it's bye bye and enjoy the tv coverage. No second chances to backtrack and opt for the "other" squad after missing out on Kangaroo selection.

 

[roopy]

Read your last two posts back TC. Talk about contradicting yourself. Gould talks rubbish in the first article but I can see his logic in the second one regarding allowing the "other" teams to choose their squad before Australia. The only problem with this is that you can't force players to play for someone else if they think they have a chance to play for Australia. What you could do is inform these players that if they turn down an invite to play for one of the "others" and fail to make the Australia squad then it's bye bye and enjoy the tv coverage. No second chances to backtrack and opt for the "other" squad after missing out on Kangaroo selection.

To be fair to TC - I merged two Gould threads - one had an extra article.

 

[deluded pom?]

To be fair to TC - I merged two Gould threads - one had an extra article.

In that case, I apologise TC. It was roopy's fault :sarcasm:

 

[roopy]

In that case, I apologise TC. It was roopy's fault :sarcasm:

Guilty as charged.

 

[The Clan]

Don't get me wrong, I know Gould is as close to being an expert on the game as you can get.
The guy still regularly comes out with the biggest load of crap I've heard.

He's not always wrong but neither is he always correct.

 

[In-goal]

Well why don't they field a 5th rated Australian side just to prove old Phil right?

I seriously for the good of the game want England and New Zealand to make the final, just to put the last decade and a half behind us.

 

[thommo4pm]

Well why don't they field a 5th rated Australian side just to prove old Phil right?

I seriously for the good of the game want England and New Zealand to make the final, just to put the last decade and a half behind us.

As much as I do want Australia to win, and I am very passionate about the Kangaroos.
I'd love for England to win also....given they are being shaped to host the 2013 World Cup.
What an excellent promotional tool that would be in England, promoting it as defending their World Championship.

 

[Brownie.Kougari]

Shut up Gus!

 

[Iafeta]

What an idiot. Whats next, if they're a certain skin colour than surely they represent another nation from which they weren't born or brought up in?

 

[The Tank]

All players in the NRL with even a remote attachment to other countries should be given the chance to play.

Please, Phil, just die.

 

[Brutus]

Annoying article.

He seems to think it's a given that Australia will win in a demeaning type of way.

f**k off Gould - just because you were never good enough to wear the green and gold.

 

[International RL]

I hate Gould's arrogant Australia centric views on the game...he just doesn't see how damaging they are.

By rights he should not be allowed anywhere near the commentators booth for the WC. He is just negative and petty. If Australia is ever beaten it is because they played poorly.

OH...and Tongans sound Tongan...so let 'em play...never mind the rules Phil? Or the fact that they defected KNOWING FULL WELL that a world cup was coming for Tonga - you know some meaningful international matches, but still went for glory with NZ...enjoy your time on the sidelines boys.

 

[Brutus]

I hate Gould's arrogant Australia centric views on the game...he just doesn't see how damaging they are.

By rights he should not be allowed anywhere near the commentators booth for the WC. He is just negative and petty. If Australia is ever beaten it is because they played poorly.

OH...and Tongans sound Tongan...so let 'em play...never mind the rules Phil? Or the fact that they defected KNOWING FULL WELL that a world cup was coming for Tonga - you know some meaningful international matches, but still went for glory with NZ...enjoy your time on the sidelines boys.

Yeah I agree. He is very Australia-centric. I remember watching him on the panel (in studio) with Johns and Voss during those channel 9 broadcasts of the Ashes Tests and Tri Nations overseas. Very demeaning towards NZ and GB rugby league.