Pacific Championships 2024

[Manu Vatuvei]

I come up with better excuses to not play Senior B cricket in summer than most of these cowards are coming up with. At least say there's a beer festival on or something.

 

[Last Week]

Can't wait to see the RLPA put out a press release about how this is all the NRLs fault somehow.

Players are pathetic.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

A few squad updates this morning

2024 Pacific Championship squads » League Unlimited

leagueunlimited.com

- Cook Islands named
- Hughes out of NZ side (injured), replacement TBC
- Martin out of Aus side (injured), Young in for him (Wishart replaces Young in PMs XIII)

Martin played well in SJs absence for the Wahs this year.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

At least PVL and Abdo are acknowledging the challenges with playing internationals at this time of year and are talking about shortening the NRL season to help accommodate the international game. Positive signs.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Martin played well in SJs absence for the Wahs this year.

Martin is also out.

NZ eligible hookers and halves unavailable/unwilling: Brown, Hughes, Johnson, Foran, Marshall-King, Smith, Martin, Strange, Weekes, Roache, Katoa, Fainu, Luai. 13 and counting. Also assume CHT is in that boat.

 

[Perth Red]

well the glitz of the pacific comp wore off pretty quick for the players!

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Actually given CHT isn't in a Samoa side that's pretty low on spine players, could that mean he's a chance? CHT/Nikorima would be a real COVID Wahs throwback/nightmare.

 

[League Unlimited News]

 

[MRN]

By Gawd! Could it be? That's Shaun Johnson's music!

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Martin is also out.

NZ eligible hookers and halves unavailable/unwilling: Brown, Hughes, Johnson, Foran, Marshall-King, Smith, Martin, Strange, Weekes, Roache, Katoa, Fainu, Luai. 13 and counting. Also assume CHT is in that boat.

well the glitz of the pacific comp wore off pretty quick for the players!

Yep and what shits me the most is when players talk about the lack of international game compared to Union

 

[League Unlimited News]

• Players ruled out through injury were Ronaldo Mulitalo (knee), Dylan Brown (knee), Kieran Foran (ankle), Moses Leota (shoulder), Brandon Smith (knee), Jeremy Marshall-King (knee), Briton Nikora (ankle), Kayal Iro (hamstring), Te Maire Martin (neck).
• Suspended: Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
• Rugby union: Joseph Manu.

Kiwis name eight debutants for Pacific Championships |

Kiwis name eight debutants for Pacific ChampionshipsNew Zealand Rugby League - Official New Zealand Rugby League website

nzrl.co.nz

Add Jahrome Hughes (neck) to that list

 

[Billythekid]

I don’t agree with players standing down and I think it’s pretty soft especially considering how well paid they are. At the same time can anyone blame them? International rugby league is a joke and has been for years. The people that run the game treat it like Mickey Mouse garbage as do a lot of the big personalities. As a result the fans don’t care either. Is it anyone surprise that players don’t give a f**k about it and instead prioritise the clubs paying them the big bucks?

Treat the international game like it actually matters and the players and fans will come on board.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

I don’t agree with players standing down and I think it’s pretty soft especially considering how well paid they are. At the same time can anyone blame them? International rugby league is a joke and has been for yours. The people that run the game treat it like Mickey Mouse garbage as do a lot of the big personalities. As a result the fans don’t care either. Is it anyone surprise that players don’t give a f**k about it and instead prioritise the clubs paying them the big bucks?

Treat the international game like it actually matters and the players and fans will come on board.

Agreed. The game needs to dictate what content the broadcasters receive, not the other way around. Put the NRL season back to 22 rounds and make test footy great again.

The sad thing is the international game has never been more competitive, and we can't take advantage of that. We are squandering a golden opportunity.

 

[mikail-eagle]

 

[Matua]

Martin is also out.

NZ eligible hookers and halves unavailable/unwilling: Brown, Hughes, Johnson, Foran, Marshall-King, Smith, Martin, Strange, Weekes, Roache, Katoa, Fainu, Luai. 13 and counting. Also assume CHT is in that boat.

Aside from the ones who are playing for other countries who is unwilling? I think for once most of ours are genuine injuries plus NAS the usual Oz league ruling out a Kiwi player while pretending to be tough, when there's no way that shot would rule a player out of origin.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Aside from the ones who are playing for other countries who is unwilling? I think for once most of ours are genuine injuries plus NAS the usual Oz league ruling out a Kiwi player while pretending to be tough, when there's no way that shot would rule a player out of origin.

Do you know if the Kiwis tests count towards NAS' suspension? If so that's shit because if was already suspended, then he can't be selected and therefore the games don't count. Obviously doesn't help the Kiwis either way.

Soccer makes players serve club suspensions for club games and international suspensions for international games I believe, we need to look at something similar. Storm should pay the price, not Kiwis. Same for rep suspensions, club shouldn't have to wear that.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Aside from the ones who are playing for other countries who is unwilling?

No player actually says they are "unwilling", of course they are obliged to come up with an injury excuse. And hell, maybe they are all severely injured and incapacitated, we'll never know for sure. I just don't accept that it's likely that international matches invariably have about 10x the amount of players unavailable through injury as an average State of Origin match.

I'm not even saying they are "faking". There will be guys physically capable of playing who are instead:

- having surgery now because they, or their club, consider it the best time to do it
- Resting an injury now because they, or their club, consider it the best time to do it
- Using a minor injury which does not really require any particular rehabilitation as an excuse because they, or their club, believe it is better that they take some time off
- Choosing not to play with an injury that they would play with if e.g. it was a Grand Final

All of this comes back to player, club, or both, not considering these games a top priority, and that's what sucks.

 

[Matua]

Do you know if the Kiwis tests count towards NAS' suspension? If so that's shit because if was already suspended, then he can't be selected and therefore the games don't count. Obviously doesn't help the Kiwis either way.

Soccer makes players serve club suspensions for club games and international suspensions for international games I believe, we need to look at something similar. Storm should pay the price, not Kiwis. Same for rep suspensions, club shouldn't have to wear that.

I think they have to be counted right? Or elsie he's being doubly penalised.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

I think they have to be counted right? Or elsie he's being doubly penalised.

They do. When NAS got into a punch up in Bali defending Vunivalu a few years ago he was suspended for 3 games.....which just so happened to be the amount of tests we were playing against Aus & GB (what a coincidence!).

Test star's ban over Bali brawl labelled 'dehumanising' by former NRL stars

The NRL is accused of treating players like "products" rather than people over its decision to ban New Zealand prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona for three Tests despite acknowledging he was provoked.

www.google.com

 

[shadowformz]

Do you know if the Kiwis tests count towards NAS' suspension? If so that's shit because if was already suspended, then he can't be selected and therefore the games don't count. Obviously doesn't help the Kiwis either way.

Soccer makes players serve club suspensions for club games and international suspensions for international games I believe, we need to look at something similar. Storm should pay the price, not Kiwis. Same for rep suspensions, club shouldn't have to wear that.

Those games will come off his suspension for sure.