Mid year tests in 2022

[cumbrian Mackem]

Could also be a huge boon for RL in NZ what with fans not being allowed into stadiums for over 2 years now.

Should easily sellout and create good positive media attention for NZ Rugby league.

 

[siv]

Really we shouldnt be "trying to organise" a test match 2 months before a rep weekend

 

[vinnie delpino]

Don't give them jerseys unless they're good enough and want to play for NZ. Don't give Mulitalio a jersey at all, as I noted above, he chose Origin/Aus/Samoa.

Mulitalo too good to ignore the guys arguably the inform winger of the comp and provides cover for centre and fb. Said he’s keen to represent kiwis and he’ll never qualify for QLD so let’s pick him.
The only dual eligible player I would chuck a jersey at to secure would be Schuster but I hear he’s gonna turn it down, and maybe Topine the others are mud not worth giving a jersey.

 

[cumbrian Mackem]

Mulitalo too good to ignore the guys arguably the inform winger of the comp and provides cover for centre and fb. Said he’s keen to represent kiwis and he’ll never qualify for QLD so let’s pick him.
The only dual eligible player I would chuck a jersey at to secure would be Schuster but I hear he’s gonna turn it down, and maybe Topine the others are mud not worth giving a jersey.

Mulitalo is a no-brainer for me and the 1st name on the team sheet.

 

[Matua]

Mulitalo too good to ignore the guys arguably the inform winger of the comp and provides cover for centre and fb. Said he’s keen to represent kiwis and he’ll never qualify for QLD so let’s pick him.

I'm just not a fan of selecting guys not committed to NZ. The fact is if not for a selection bungle he wouldn't be available to us. Pick someone actually committed to NZ. He made his choice and it wasn't NZ. I don't care how good he is.

 

[cumbrian Mackem]

What would a potential Tongan lineup look like on current form and availability?

 

[Bobby DIGital]

I'm just not a fan of selecting guys not committed to NZ. The fact is if not for a selection bungle he wouldn't be available to us. Pick someone actually committed to NZ. He made his choice and it wasn't NZ. I don't care how good he is.

Agreed. He said he had a chat with Maguire recently and basically told him he was never picked for any junior nz rep teams so f**k you I picked QLD.

QLD are a weak team who will pick anyone. They're desperate. Almost half their team is eligible for us.

 

[Matua]

Agreed. He said he had a chat with Maguire recently and basically told him he was never picked for any junior nz rep teams so f**k you I picked QLD.

QLD are a weak team who will pick anyone. They're desperate. Almost half their team is eligible for us.

I wonder why he wasn't ever picked for NZ rep teams? Although, NZ league often doesn't pick guys they should. By NZ I mean Warriors (back when they professed to be a NZ team) and NZRL.

 

[vinnie delpino]

I suppose if it ain’t Mulitalo then Maumalo? No thanks

 

[Hartwood]

I suppose if it ain’t Mulitalo then Maumalo? No thanks

Reimis Smith could go on the wing

 

[vinnie delpino]

Reimis Smith could go on the wing

That’s true Smith is all good. I suppose whether we agree with it or not the kiwis have every intention on selecting Mulitalo judging by the way he’s promoted all over Nzrl socials….must say him and Talakai pairing have looked pretty impressive last couple of weeks

 

[Hartwood]

QLD are a weak team who will pick anyone. They're desperate. Almost half their team is eligible for us.

Of the 7 Kiwi eligible Qlders in the most recent origin. 2 were born and raised Qlders, and 4 moved to Qld before they were 7 years old, with Fotuaika moving before he was 1 yr old. NZ selecting these players would be more desperate than Qld/Australia selecting them. Ponga spent 5 years in NZ between 8 and 13, so he's the only one that would make sense, and even then that's most of his Childhood in Australia

 

[Hartwood]

What would a potential Tongan lineup look like on current form and availability?

Some positions depend on whether Super league clubs release the likes of Hopoate, Hurrell or Hingano. Huddersfield have said that Lolohea will be released for the match. Amone is also eligible for Samoa so I'm unsure who he'd play for

1. Niu
2. Tupou
3. Penisini
4. Hopoate/Hurrell/Talakai
5. Katoa
6. Staggs
7. Lolohea
8. Tatola
9. Havili
10. Fonua-Blake
11. Koloamatangi
12. Tupouniua
13. Taumalolo
14. Otukolo/Hingano/Amone
15. Pangai Jnr
16. Utoikamanu
17. Olakau'atu

 

[Matua]

Some positions depend on whether Super league clubs release the likes of Hopoate, Hurrell or Hingano. Huddersfield have said that Lolohea will be released for the match. Amone is also eligible for Samoa so I'm unsure who he'd play for

1. Niu
2. Tupou
3. Penisini
4. Hopoate/Hurrell/Talakai
5. Katoa
6. Staggs
7. Lolohea
8. Tatola
9. Havili
10. Fonua-Blake
11. Koloamatangi
12. Tupouniua
13. Taumalolo
14. Otukolo/Hingano/Amone
15. Pangai Jnr
16. Utoikamanu
17. Olakau'atu

Will any of these players be playing origin? Staggs?

 

[Hartwood]

Will any of these players be playing origin? Staggs?

Potentially Staggs if Mitchell is still injured, Koloamatangi probably the only other player with a chance for Origin

 

[Bobby DIGital]

Of the 7 Kiwi eligible Qlders in the most recent origin. 2 were born and raised Qlders, and 4 moved to Qld before they were 7 years old, with Fotuaika moving before he was 1 yr old. NZ selecting these players would be more desperate than Qld/Australia selecting them. Ponga spent 5 years in NZ between 8 and 13, so he's the only one that would make sense, and even then that's most of his Childhood in Australia

So you honestly think it would be desperate for NZ to select players born in NZ who have NZ passports?

 

[Hartwood]

So you honestly think it would be desperate for NZ to select players born in NZ who have NZ passports?

No, they are dual eligible, it's not desperate to chose either nation and/or state. But it's certainly more desperate than QLD selecting players that have spent their entire schooling years in QLD

 

[Bobby DIGital]

No, they are dual eligible, it's not desperate to chose either nation. But it's certainly more desperate than QLD selecting players that have spent their entire schooling years in QLD

I beg to differ.

You do understand we have a very small pool of players to pick from right? A pool which was reduced even further during the last world cup due to an entire race of people turning their back on the country that made them. And at any moment that could occur again with guys like former junior kiwis captain Martin Taupau playing copycat and switching to Samoa. We have been propping up Tonga and Samoa since their international RL inception. We've always given out depth players to them when we didn't have to. That has come back to bite us hard.

Josh Papalii played for the junior kiwis and early in his career was adamant that he wanted to play for NZ. It is a fact that Mal Meninga constantly got in his ear and eventually persuaded him to switch to Qld, using the match payment money as a carrot.

Ponga is a Maori who has said he wants to play for the All Blacks, but he doesn't want to play for the kiwis. That to me is disgraceful. He wants to play for a logo and not a country.

Seeing QLD full of kiwis degrades Origin. Qld have always been desperate though. It dates back to Adrian Lam in 95, then Carroll and Thorn in 97.

Where's NZ? That's in Queensland. Queensland's everywhere.

 

[Hartwood]

Josh Papalii played for the junior kiwis and early in his career was adamant that he wanted to play for NZ. It is a fact that Mal Meninga constantly got in his ear and eventually persuaded him to switch to Qld, using the match payment money as a carrot.

That's not a fact, it's just what Tony Kemp claimed. Personally if someone was born in Brisbane but moved to Auckland at 6 years old, I wouldn't want them to play for Qld or Australia

Ponga is a Maori who has said he wants to play for the All Blacks, but he doesn't want to play for the kiwis. That to me is disgraceful. He wants to play for a logo and not a country.

All Blacks is a far more well known brand than the Maroons. Maybe he just wants to play for that logo, rather than representing his country of birth. All Blacks would pay higher than being a Wallaby too.

Seeing QLD full of kiwis degrades Origin.

Again, everyone selected for QLD is a QLDer, the rules are in place and are enforced. I don't think Origin should be tied to national eligibility at all. I don't see why you can't be a QLDer and a Kiwi

 

[Hartwood]

Qld have always been desperate though. It dates back to Adrian Lam in 95, then Carroll and Thorn in 97.

Ah yes, Lam, Carroll and Thorn. Who moved to QLD at 7, 6 and 8 respectively. No way you could claim these guys to be Qlders. Born and raised Kiwis I tell you.

Qld has the highest NZ born population in the country. Nearly 40% of Kiwis in Australia live in QLD, so statistically Maroons should have more Kiwis than the Blues