2024 Crowd Watch

[yakstorm]

Even just a tri series with them would be epic

It honestly would be the perfect thing to pair with Origin if we ever went back to rep weekends.

The problem is it's the type of tournament that some players would pick over Origin as well, which would be the NRLs fear.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

With England coming over next year, we should keep the Pacific Championships in tact for continuity and England play the team with the bye each week or just join the comp as an invitational side and tweak the format slightly:

Pool A
New Zealand
Samoa
Tonga
Fiji

Pool B
Australia
England
PNG
Cook Islands

Pool winners meet in the final.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Broadcasters will definitely want something for end of season, and I think there will be Tests no matter what, but the question will be what format they take. NZ will have to have at least 2 Tests for the NRL & NZRL to satisfy their deal with SkyNZ and the Aus Government will put money up for Tess in PNG at least, so there would be something.

Hopefully the Pacific Championship takes place. NZ, Samoa & Tonga tri-series would be amazing and easily get 3x 20K+ crowds.

I reckon you could sell-out Commbank, sell-out Mt Smart and pull 30k to Suncorp for a Tonga v Samoa three test series

 

[Wb1234]

It honestly would be the perfect thing to pair with Origin if we ever went back to rep weekends.

The problem is it's the type of tournament that some players would pick over Origin as well, which would be the NRLs fear.

The ideal scenario is keep the number of games the same

Just stop for four weeks and play origin on consecutive weeks together with pacific cup minus Australia

This would help player welfare hugely and improve both the nrl and origin

 

[warriors 95]

England could’ve been included in an expanded pacific cup

They been pining for an ashes type tour for 30 years

For 3 years straight they have devalued the pacific cup

Without Australia the games could be based in nz png and Fiji

Nz v Tonga
Nz v Samoa
Tonga v Samoa

Would be epic clashes

Even just a tri series with them would be epic

NZ v tonga Hamilton

NZ v Samoa Christchurch

tonga v Samoa Auckland(mt smart)

final Auckland(mt smart)

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

NZ v tonga Hamilton

NZ v Samoa Christchurch

tonga v Samoa Auckland(mt smart)

final Auckland(mt smart)

I agree mate, keep it in NZ, great series across the country and will give it a chance to get more media coverage if it is all in NZ, especially with our attempts to grow the game there.

 

[Iamback]

The last Tonga v Samoa game held in the southern hemisphere was a sellout of 17,802 at Campbelltown Sports Stadium in 2018.

Prior to that the crowds were:
18,156 - Hamilton 2017 RLWC
15,225 - Parramatta 2016
12,336 - Gold Coast 2015
10,143 - Penrith 2013
11,308 - Parramatta 2010

Only other game Tonga has played at Campbelltown was 2017 versus Fiji were the crowd was 18,271.

Correct.

It would sell out CommBank, and get very close at Allianz