Pacific Championships 2024

[Wb1234]

Wouldn’t surprise me if he gets an nrl contract if he plays well

 

[Perth Red]

Wouldn’t surprise me if he gets an nrl contract if he plays well

Head of fan liaison?

 

[Clarkent]

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.

Geez if NAS was suspended let's say 5 games playing for the Kiwis, that's basically 3 years out of the international game lol

 

[Billythekid]

Wouldn’t surprise me if he gets an nrl contract if he plays well

Dude will be 37 by the time the next NRL season starts and hasn’t played league at any sort of high level in like 6 or 7 years. He was also a f**king cancer at club level even before he was this cooked.

Unlike the Fiji international side NRL club sides have a brand to manage and signing this moron won’t help with that.

 

[Last Week]

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.

The infuriating part of it is that whether it be delayed surgery or what not, the players value playing pre season and the earlier rounds of the season as opposed to playing for their country.

Any time you hear a player say they want more international games or the RLPA say they want to be partners in the game, tell them to get f**ked. They are purely driven by their own self interest. They are no better than the clubs or state bodies.

 

[Last Week]

Wouldn’t surprise me if he gets an nrl contract if he plays well

Yeah, I doubt this will be happening.

A few sponsors will make some calls and Fiji will be pressured.

 

[isaiah]

I read that Tonga is $5.50 this Friday. Sounds like not much chance

 

[Scootsie]

Finding it hard to get into this series, but I’ll try once the games start.
wondering if the timing is right for these internationals.

 

[warriors 95]

Finding it hard to get into this series, but I’ll try once the games start.
wondering if the timing is right for these internationals.

All the usual mass pullouts aren’t helping.

 

[mozza91]

Jesus they fed Hayne well in the slammer.

 

[Billythekid]

Finding it hard to get into this series, but I’ll try once the games start.
wondering if the timing is right for these internationals.

I’ll tune in because I love international footy but it’s hard to be excited. Still don’t like this tournament or format. The fact that so many players are missing doesn’t help.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Geez if NAS was suspended let's say 5 games playing for the Kiwis, that's basically 3 years out of the international game lol

Good point

 

[warriors 95]

I’ll tune in because I love international footy but it’s hard to be excited. Still don’t like this tournament or format. The fact that so many players are missing doesn’t help.

We need to go back to the 4nations model with 2 comps.

maybe a 4nations championship and a 4nations bowl with the 4th placed team in the championship being relegated to the bowl comp and the bowl winners being promoted to the championship.

 

[Billythekid]

We need to go back to the 4nations model with 2 comps.

maybe a 4nations championship and a 4nations bowl with the 4th placed team in the championship being relegated to the bowl comp and the bowl winners being promoted to the championship.

I think this was brought up earlier but yeah a 4 or 5 nations would be awesome. I just wish we hadn’t squandered all the hype when Tonga had that incredible performance in the 2017 World Cup. That was probably the most positive I’d ever felt about international league and it felt like we were on the precipice of finally seeing the game grow.

And then it kinda petered out and hasn’t really done much since. The hype around Samoa, Tonga and NZ and the rivalries present just weren’t developed well at all. Likewise the big 3 countries just haven’t played each other enough and there’s simply not enough games or regular tournaments to build up a rivalry or something with a bit of history.

It’s all just felt like whatever could be cobbled together.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

We need to go back to the 4nations model with 2 comps.

maybe a 4nations championship and a 4nations bowl with the 4th placed team in the championship being relegated to the bowl comp and the bowl winners being promoted to the championship.

Add England and France and you've got two solid comps where all top nations get regular quality tests.

NZ
Aus
Eng
Sam

Tonga
PNG
Fiji
France

3 games each plus a final for the cup and promotion/ relegation playoff for the winner of the bowl v 4th place cup

 

[titoelcolombiano]

I think this was brought up earlier but yeah a 4 or 5 nations would be awesome. I just wish we hadn’t squandered all the hype when Tonga had that incredible performance in the 2017 World Cup. That was probably the most positive I’d ever felt about international league and it felt like we were on the precipice of finally seeing the game grow.

And then it kinda petered out and hasn’t really done much since. The hype around Samoa, Tonga and NZ and the rivalries present just weren’t developed well at all. Likewise the big 3 countries just haven’t played each other enough and there’s simply not enough games or regular tournaments to build up a rivalry or something with a bit of history.

It’s all just felt like whatever could be cobbled together.

Squandered what? We had an Oceania cup in 2018 and 2019 plus a GB tour in 2019. During that time Tonga beat Australia and GB.

Covid halted everything in 2020 and 2021 but the game can hardly be blamed for that, then on resumption, since 2022 we've had a world cup, two Pacific Championships (continuation of the Oceania Cup) and historic tours of England by Tonga and Samoa for the first time. Which has subsequently meant that in the international window we have tests running concurrently in both hemispheres for the first time ever.

People have short memories. We would have killed for this just a short 8 years ago. All that needs to happen is a shortening of the NRL season to reduce player burnout which Vlandy's and Abdo have acknowledged and have said they'd like to action in the next broadcast deal.

 

[warriors 95]

I think this was brought up earlier but yeah a 4 or 5 nations would be awesome. I just wish we hadn’t squandered all the hype when Tonga had that incredible performance in the 2017 World Cup. That was probably the most positive I’d ever felt about international league and it felt like we were on the precipice of finally seeing the game grow.

so very, very RL unfortunately.

And then it kinda petered out and hasn’t really done much since. The hype around Samoa, Tonga and NZ and the rivalries present just weren’t developed well at all. Likewise the big 3 countries just haven’t played each other enough and there’s simply not enough games or regular tournaments to build up a rivalry or something with a bit of history.

crazy isn’t it as not only would these be competitive games but they would almost certainly produce near sellouts or even sellouts making the NZRL some much needed $$$

It’s all just felt like whatever could be cobbled together.

truly disgraceful.

 

[warriors 95]

Add England and France and you've got two solid comps where all top nations get regular quality tests.

NZ
Aus
Eng
Sam

Tonga
PNG
Fiji
France

3 games each plus a final for the cup and promotion/ relegation playoff for the winner of the bowl v 4th place cup

Not sure of the logistics but I’d love to see England play their games in the UK and host the final every other tournament.

all depends on the possibility of being relegated to the bowl competition as well.

 

[Wb1234]

What’s the difference between the pacific cup and quad nations except England aren’t playing

Leave it as is and it will grow every year

It’s racially very ambitious with the teams involved and venues in the pacific chosen

 

[Clarkent]