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Pacific Championships 2024

Clarkent

Clarkent

Juniors
Messages
828
Wb1234 said:
I’ve been moaning for two years we have been deprived of the blue chip game for the pacific cup so the pommies can get Tours

They rely upon the nrl for their tours since they are too lazy to develop France

Apparently Samoa v Tonga will be in Sydney but hopefullly Allianz or Homebush.
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It also didn't help when the England coach said they don't want to face France next year in a mid year test. It's a joke that they won't make an effort to improve the international game over on their side but expects the Southern Hemisphere to drop everything and cater to them. We don't mind going over England and help but at least make an effort to make Framce better or even Scotland who had a strong team in the past and they never capitalized on it
 
Perth Red

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
69,520
If NRl had any sense they'd move to rep weekends and have state of origin and Island of Origin series. 3 matches in NZ mid season between Samoa and Tonga would be awesome and build a massive rivalry that would sell out stadiums over there. Tell the Feds it will keep china out and they will likely fund it as well!
 
Perth Red

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
69,520
Clarkent said:
It also didn't help when the England coach said they don't want to face France next year in a mid year test. It's a joke that they won't make an effort to improve the international game over on their side but expects the Southern Hemisphere to drop everything and cater to them. We don't mind going over England and help but at least make an effort to make Framce better or even Scotland who had a strong team in the past and they never capitalized on it
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thrashing France in one off mid season games does nothing for either nation or Int RL. Be like saying why dont Australia play cook islands mid season every year to help the game over there.

Theyve been paying for a French club in Sl for over 20 years, its not made much difference to the standard of the French team. France needs to fix its own domestic comp and get TV interested if its ever to progress on an Int stage. Nothing England can do about that.

Lets be honest Tonga and Samoa are not competitive now because the NRl is doing anything in those nations. Its by chance of migration.
 
E

England87

Juniors
Messages
127
When I hear words thrown around like 'development' and 'progress' regarding Samoa and Tonga it makes me cringe.

As much as they are short term fix and a shiny new toy in the international scene. In the next ten years PNG, Fiji & France have so much more potential.

The reality is the best schoolboy athletes in Samoa/Tonga are either snapped up by euro/jap or NZ schools rugby.
 
Perth Red

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
69,520
England87 said:
When I hear words thrown around like 'development' and 'progress' regarding Samoa and Tonga it makes me cringe.

As much as they are short term fix and a shiny new toy in the international scene. In the next ten years PNG, Fiji & France have so much more potential.

The reality is the best schoolboy athletes in Samoa/Tonga are either snapped up by euro/jap or NZ schools rugby.
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The success of these Island heritage teams has the potential to kick start RL in those nations but only if there is a strategy and investment on the ground that goes with it. Is there?
Great for Vlandys and Abdo to pat themselves on the back and say how important the PI are to the NRL but are they actually doing anything in those Islands?
 
W

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
33,579
The arl is going to make a fortune off Samoa v Tonga

With a crowd of 50k the gate alone will be 2 million plus. With corporate and game day advertising the arlc can be making 3 million per game

Given the players only get 3k each and the ground hire is around 100k that’s a massive profit

And that’s before any tv value
 
E

England87

Juniors
Messages
127
There are no Edwin Ipape's or Theo Fage's in the Islands. 99.9% of their talent and player pool will always come from South Auckland and Western Sydney.
 
Manu Vatuvei

Manu Vatuvei

Coach
Messages
17,218
Wb1234 said:
How many islanders are there in pro union across the world ?
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I don't follow Union closely but I would say probably very few. I am aware of a relative handful who started out via scholarships while playing for Tongan schools, sure. There certainly aren't great numbers of blokes getting scouted for pro union while playing for the Nuku'alofa Nightriders in the local comp.
 
E

England87

Juniors
Messages
127
Wb1234 said:
How many islanders are there in pro union across the world ?
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Shit loads mate. Jap rugby for example gets them at 15/16 years old. Euro rugby snaps up about 30% of their Under 20's teams. There is 'development' that can be done even though their populations are tiny.
 
E

England87

Juniors
Messages
127
This is incorrect
Manu Vatuvei said:
I don't follow Union closely but I would say probably very few. I am aware of a relative handful who started out via scholarships while playing for Tongan schools, sure. There certainly aren't great numbers of blokes getting scouted for pro union while playing for the Nuku'alofa Nightriders in the local comp
Click to expand...
 
W

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
33,579
40 percent of all nrl players are kiwis or Islanders

Why not supplement it with more development in Tonga Samoa and Fiji
 
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