Andrew Johns joins Tonga Coaching Staff

[Burns]

http://http://www.triplem.com.au/sydney/sport/nrl/news/2016/4/andrew-johns-joins-tonga-coaching-staff/

In some breaking international rugby league news, rugby league 8th Immortal Andrew Johns has taken up a coaching role for the Tongan rugby league side.

The Newcastle legend will take up a "mentoring role", helping the emerging rugby league nation develop talent.

“I just like to help out the Pacific island nations,” Johns said, on The Daily Telegraph.

“They provide so many players in the NRL and also in the Under 20s.

“I’ll pop into training a couple of times and give them a hand I’m really looking forward to it.”Joey has long been a supporter of rugby league in the Pacific Nations, telling Channel Nine: “If we gave them more incentive to play for their countries, they’d be almost unbeatable.”

Tonga coach Kristian Wolf says having someone of Joey’s stature involved in the game will have a positive effect.

“Hopefully it will encourage guys to play for Tonga, which is a great thing,” he said.

“We are going to be young in the halves no matter what, so our intentions with it are to help those guys develop.

“Joey can certainly do that, plus any promotion that we can get for how we are trying to improve Tongan rugby league would be massive.”

Good news!

 

[Sinman]

Yeah that's great.. It is really good to see guys like him getting on board.. it will make it more attractive to play for those nations as well!! I feel there is actually momentum starting to happen with International Rugby League because more NRL media guys are catching the vision.. this needs to be capitalised upon!!

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

I am looking forward to the next RLWC more and more every day, good stuff joey.

 

[8Ball]

Johns seems to do a lot of good stuff for international rugby league. Good stuff. There's some serious athletes around in other countries, but the areas where they are most behind are in the halves.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Awesome stuff the tongan big boppers will thrive off his status

 

[Rhyno]

Good news

 

[The Partisan]

Has just mentioned on Triple M that it is a 'one -off' for the May test and certainly not an ongoing arrangement. So good but not great in my books.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Basically he's going on holiday to Tonga, is that it?

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

He'll change his mind after it and help out, you watch for the positive PR ;-)

 

[hutch]

Basically he's going on holiday to Tonga, is that it?

They won't travel to Tonga, the game is in Sydney and the players spend the week in Sydney doing clinics. It SHOULD be in Tonga or Samoa, hopefully one day.

 

[deal.with.it]

Great news.

And these matches will keep be played in Aus until their governing bodies can afford to host them.

Baby steps, we'll get there.