Kiwis v Tonga

[Shoulder Charge]

Asiata and Staggs in the Tongan squad.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/06/12/tonga-call-up-new-faces-for-test-against-new-zealand/

Tonga squad
In alphabetical order

• John Asiata (North Queensland Cowboys)
• Manase Fainu (Manly Sea Eagles)
• Andrew Fifita (Cronulla Sharks)
• Addin Fonua-Blake (Manly Sea Eagles)
• Moeaki Fotuaika (Gold Coast Titans)
• David Fusi'tua (New Zealand Warriors)
• Siliva Havili (Canberra Raiders)
• Tuimoala Lolohea (Leeds Rhinos)
• Will Hopoate (Canterbury Bulldogs)
• Michael Jennings (Parramatta Eels)
• Robert Jennings (Wests Tigers)
• Solomone Kata (New Zealand Warriors)
• Sione Katoa (Penrith Panthers)
• Manu Ma'u (Parramatta Eels)
• Tevita Pangai jnr (Brisbane Broncos)
• Kotoni Staggs (Brisbane Broncos)
• Tevita Tatola (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
• Siosiua Taukeiaho (Sydney Roosters)
• Jason Taumalolo (North Queensland Cowboys)
• Peni Terepo (Parramatta Eels)
• Daniel Tupou (Sydney Roosters)
• Sitili Tupouniua (Sydney Roosters)

Solid squad.

 

[adamkungl]

Not the greatest halves pairing. Continues to be a weak point for the Pacific nations. I think they'll miss Hingano, is a more natural halfback than either Lolohea or Asiata.

Nikorima and Foran aren't 5 star quality but are at least legit first grade halves.

 

[adamkungl]

Ok cool. I thought Eden Park was being used for a upcoming double/triple header involving the kiwis?

Maybe against Australia or Great Britain perhaps?

NZ v GB
Aus v Tonga
Samoa v Fiji

triple header at Eden Park

 

[Springs09]

Beat me to it

I suppose from that I'd have
1. Hopoate
2. Fusi'tua
3. M. Jennings
4. Staggs
5. Tupou
6. Asiata
7. Lolohea
8. Fifita
9. Havili
10. Taukeiaho
11. Ma'u
12. Pangai Jr
13. Taumalolo

14. Fainu
15. Fonua-Blake
16. Tatola
17. Tupouniua

18. Fotuaika
19. Terepo
20. R. Jennings
21. Kata
22. Katoa

Very good side, first 17 all current first team NRL players aside from Lolohea.

 

[Panther_Daz]

Beat me to it

I suppose from that I'd have
1. Hopoate
2. Fusi'tua
3. M. Jennings
4. Staggs
5. Tupou
6. Asiata
7. Lolohea
8. Fifita
9. Havili
10. Taukeiaho
11. Ma'u
12. Pangai Jr
13. Taumalolo

14. Fainu
15. Fonua-Blake
16. Tatola
17. Tupouniua

18. Fotuaika
19. Terepo
20. R. Jennings
21. Kata
22. Katoa

Very good side, first 17 all current first team NRL players aside from Lolohea.

I would have Fotuaika ahead of Tatola but that is just me. I just think Fotuaika has had a bigger impact at NRL level.

 

[Matua]

I hope they start Kata. It would be great to have him bumbling around for the opposition team instead of my team.

 

[Walter sobchak]

NZ v GB
Aus v Tonga
Samoa v Fiji

triple header at Eden Park

Thanks.

Don’t honestly know what to make of this triple header at Eden Park. Unless it results in a 40,000+ crowd I think that all 3 games could have been played on their own at different venues.

NZ v GB in wellington
AUS v Tonga mount smart
Samoa v Fiji Suva or bankwest?

 

[Panther_Daz]

I hope they start Kata. It would be great to have him bumbling around for the opposition team instead of my team.

He would be behind Staggs and both Jennings brothers for a centre spot.

 

[Burns]

Tonga to go in as favourites?

 

[adamkungl]

Thanks.

Don’t honestly know what to make of this triple header at Eden Park. Unless it results in a 40,000+ crowd I think that all 3 games could have been played on their own at different venues.

NZ v GB in wellington
AUS v Tonga mount smart
Samoa v Fiji Suva or bankwest?

Yeah not really a fan. It's like a $1.10 bet.

Yes, they should get a big crowd in. But you'd have to think that the game can do better for the 2 big ticket items on there, and if it backfires and they draw 30k or less they look like f**king idiots.

 

[Matua]

He would be behind Staggs and both Jennings brothers for a centre spot.

Shush, I can dream. He can't even make the Warriors and his Dad is the coach so unsure why Wulf even named him.

 

[Burns]

Yeah not really a fan. It's like a $1.10 bet.

Yes, they should get a big crowd in. But you'd have to think that the game can do better for the 2 big ticket items on there, and if it backfires and they draw 30k or less they look like f**king idiots.

It’ll sell out easy if Tonga beat New Zealand. They were pretty competitive last year against Australia.

On this game, hopefully the team announcement gets Mt Smart ticket sales moving, as they are pretty slow.

 

[Walter sobchak]

It’ll sell out easy if Tonga beat New Zealand. They were pretty competitive last year against Australia.

On this game, hopefully the team announcement gets Mt Smart ticket sales moving, as they are pretty slow.

Did the Tonga v Australia match sellout last year or was there a huge walk up crowd?

 

[Walter sobchak]

Yeah not really a fan. It's like a $1.10 bet.

Yes, they should get a big crowd in. But you'd have to think that the game can do better for the 2 big ticket items on there, and if it backfires and they draw 30k or less they look like f**king idiots.

This. 40,000 at a bare minimum for me or it’s a failure.

 

[adamkungl]

It’ll sell out easy if Tonga beat New Zealand. They were pretty competitive last year against Australia.

On this game, hopefully the team announcement gets Mt Smart ticket sales moving, as they are pretty slow.

Fwiw the last times NZ played Australia at Eden Park it drew 35k and 44k in 2012 and 2010 respectively.

More recently NZ v Australia at Mt Smart drew 12k in 2018. Obviously they're using this to gauge expectations. Thinking a massive event can revive interest in NZ Rugby League.

NZ needs to play at home at least once every single year.
After winning the 2008 WC and 2010 4 Nations, the Kiwis completely squandered what should have been a boom period.
They did not play a home game in 2011 or 2013, and lost a single one-off v Australia in Auckland in 2012.
The Kiwis returned home in 2014 to win the 4N that year in front of middling crowds.

The same mistakes were repeated in 2015 and 2016, with no home games to capitalise on the recent success and a squad not performing on the field.
Unsurprisingly, crowds were not enthused by the Kiwis finally returning home to host part of the 2017 World Cup, preferring the inspirational Tonga.

Any public sentiment gained by those 3 big wins in 08, 10, and 14 was lost by a short-sighted calendar, and as a secondary concern a failure to back up those performances.

The 2019 Kiwis need to play good footy at home. 3 huge opponents in Aus, Tonga and GB. But more importantly, any success they have needs to be backed up with a strong calendar with home games in 2020 and 2021.
Currently their 2020 calendar only includes the 2nd run of the Oceania Cup, and probably the usual one-off v Australia in October. That should mean 2 home games for NZ, with the Pacific unlikely to host.

 

[Walter sobchak]

Fwiw the last times NZ played Australia at Eden Park it drew 35k and 44k in 2012 and 2010 respectively.

More recently NZ v Australia at Mt Smart drew 12k in 2018. Obviously they're using this to gauge expectations. Thinking a massive event can revive interest in NZ Rugby League.

NZ needs to play at home at least once every single year.
After winning the 2008 WC and 2010 4 Nations, the Kiwis completely squandered what should have been a boom period.
They did not play a home game in 2011 or 2013, and lost a single one-off v Australia in Auckland in 2012.
The Kiwis returned home in 2014 to win the 4N that year in front of middling crowds.

The same mistakes were repeated in 2015 and 2016, with no home games to capitalise on the recent success and a squad not performing on the field.
Unsurprisingly, crowds were not enthused by the Kiwis finally returning home to host part of the 2017 World Cup, preferring the inspirational Tonga.

Any public sentiment gained by those 3 big wins in 08, 10, and 14 was lost by a short-sighted calendar, and as a secondary concern a failure to back up those performances.

The 2019 Kiwis need to play good footy at home. 3 huge opponents in Aus, Tonga and GB. But more importantly, any success they have needs to be backed up with a strong calendar with home games in 2020 and 2021.
Currently their 2020 calendar only includes the 2nd run of the Oceania Cup, and probably the usual one-off v Australia in October. That should mean 2 home games for NZ, with the Pacific unlikely to host.

This is why as a non Australian I hate state of origin so much and refuse to watch it. For me I’d make state of origin a annual 1 match affair and bring back the 3 match trans-Tasman test series.

 

[adamkungl]

This is why as a non Australian I hate state of origin so much and refuse to watch it. For me I’d make state of origin a annual 1 match affair and bring back the 3 match trans-Tasman test series.

Counter-productive. SOO isn't the cause of this and removing it wouldn't magically make the NZRL any better, and it would deprive the sport of a huge amount of income.

 

[Walter sobchak]

Counter-productive. SOO isn't the cause of this and removing it wouldn't magically make the NZRL any better, and it would deprive the sport of a huge amount of income.

Giving NZ a guaranteed 1 home match 1 year then 2 the following year against Australia would boost the NZRL financially from gate receipts and possibly from increased sponsorship and tv deals resulting from the permanent trans-Tasman series.

In time I honestly believe that the trans-Tasman test series could match state of origin. Especially with NZ being so strong and competitive compared to the sides they fielded from the mid to late 80’s and early 90’s when the majority of the kiwi squad were drawn from the old English 1st division competition(pre-super league).

 

[Springs09]

This is why as a non Australian I hate state of origin so much and refuse to watch it. For me I’d make state of origin a annual 1 match affair and bring back the 3 match trans-Tasman test series.

Silly. We can have both Origin and regular internationals for all teams. It's just they won't do it. And this is every damn nation, not just Australia.

There's also no point harming the game in Australia in an attempt to strengthen it in NZ. Origin is still our most popular event and one of our keys to spread the game to other parts of the country.

 

[adamkungl]

Giving NZ a guaranteed 1 home match 1 year then 2 the following year against Australia would boost the NZRL financially from gate receipts and possibly from increased sponsorship and tv deals resulting from the permanent trans-Tasman series.

In time I honestly believe that the trans-Tasman test series could match state of origin. Especially with NZ being so strong and competitive compared to the sides they fielded from the mid to late 80’s and early 90’s when the majority of the kiwi squad were drawn from the old English 1st division competition(pre-super league).

This should happen every year regardless of SOO. Theres all of October and November to play yet they fail to utilise the time.
More effective than cutting SOO would be cutting 2 more rounds off the NRL to take some of the sting out of 'player workload' arguments.