Fiji and the Queensland Cup

[siv]

your on the right track Dane I would suggest 8 teams though, a Melanesian Conference (Honiara, Port Vila, Suva, Nadi) and Polynesian Conference (Apia, Nuku'alofa, Rarotonga, Pago pago).. there is no doubt talent there and this will be the way for the sport to grow.

I agree rather than shrink domestic competitions establishing this sort if regional league is a much better option

 

[Titanic]

Teams like Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands and another team (or even two) from NZ are inevitable to have some regular competition if the sport is to seriously expand. Although this is an international thread, the conundrum must also include domestic expansion which makes it ... well a conundrum.

Infrastructure is the kicker,closely followed by finance and the IRL/ARL are not noted as being magnanimous towards anyone apart from their own interests.

 

[roughyedspud]

would it be possible to enter tongan,samoan,cook island "A" teams into the NZRL national comp??...


that comp only lasts 3-4months...it could be workable i think...

 

[deal.with.it]

Why not spend the money on their respective domestic comps?

Junior development, geographical spread, crowd figures etc.

Better that, then a pacific club comp that looks good on paper for us sitting back in our chairs at our australian homes...

 

[roughyedspud]

but will the domestic players get better by playing against themselves??



sure we'll still have the domestic leagues....but now we'll take the best 24 players from that league,essentially "A" teams and put them into the NSW,QLD cups,NZRL comp,the championships in uk....to expose them to the next level of comp....

its about bridging the gap...

 

[Titanic]

I think Roughy that's a good idea about the Kiwi comp and I totally agree that players will only improve with better competition and more exotic pathways to keep the amateurs interested.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Could such a competition sustain itself financially?

Can't see how.

I think ultimately a Pacific competition is the way to go, a competition on the level of the NSWCup and the QCup. But not just yet.

How about just some more internationals involving the Pacific nations first.

 

[deal.with.it]

I was referring to domestic clubs from the pacific playing each other.
Enter png in the qld cup , samoa in nsw cup, tonga in NZ etc.
Thats fine and beneficial.
But lets not create inter island domestic club competitions ie. Dane Campbells suggestion

 

[siv]

Other option is a annual end if season Pacific Cup and Pacific Shield

 

[roughyedspud]

that should be a given...not a option

 

[deal.with.it]

Yes. But its a waste of money if locally produced players dont feature.
Pacific cups should show the level of each nation's development, not simply the NRL's development...