Pacific international thread

[RedVee]

I think Vossy mentioned coverage back to Tonga & Samoa during the game.

 

[Scubby]

I think Vossy mentioned coverage back to Tonga & Samoa during the game.

Also live into France going by this https://youtu.be/2PTFURBlVsE

International RL will make sense to any place in the world. We just need more of it and to stop being so insular.

 

[The Partisan]

I think having the Test match; City / Country and QLD / NSW Residents games all on the same weekend would have definitely impacted on the crowd numbers. Two of these games being played up the road in Brisbane too - so decisions of which to attend would have to be made, especially if taking the family. Probably a lot of Kiwis with Islander heritage included in this status. Only so much time and money.


Throw in the weather we had on Friday - and the fact that showers were still forecast for Saturday - and possibly a few made the call early to not head to the game. I know this was the case for me.

 

[mikail-eagle]

100% in Fiji, Live. They get all the games there.
You'd have to think PNG would of had live coverage too given its following there.

Live into PNG as well.

 

[The Partisan]

Samoa press conference. The international opportunities ..and inequalities ....referred to round the 7min mark. Matt Parrish a very passionate supporter of the games growth in the Pacific.

http://extra.foxsportspulse.com/video/Sport_NRL/p3a2d1dDpVeEwBNoJP69eOXN28-oaXv8/Samoa+press+conference/

 

[The Partisan]

And the Tongan's turn to talk up International RL opportunities being an issue for the games administrators to pay some attention to.



http://extra.foxsportspulse.com/video/Sport_NRL/p1a2d1dDqXwyNGL8Blonc9mYU0P1B_Zf/Tonga+press+conference/

 

[Front-Rower]

Awesome game of footy, absolutely enjoy watching these games every year. The pride, passion and skills of the players is great to watch.

Whoever says they would rather a club round this weekend is bonkers.

Just on scheduling, I feel the rain has done all a favour. Next year the city v country game needs to be Friday night with Pacific tests and juniors on Saturday leaving AUS v NZ in the sunshine on the Sunday. Seems like a more appropriate schedule to me.

 

[The Partisan]

Like that format too !

Keen to catch the Test today.

Outside RLWC i can't recall the last Kangaroos involved Test match in this country.

1988 Sydney ??? Game 3 where a gallant understrength GB team put the cleaners through the Kangaroos. Henderson Gill's bit of boogie post try celebrations ! Mike Gregory's run !

 

[Burns]

So who do we think is the top team in Pacific at the moment? Fiji with a slight edge over Samoa?

 

[hutch]

So who do we think is the top team in Pacific at the moment? Fiji with a slight edge over Samoa?

Fiji and Samoa probably with their players added that were missing. I also think PNG would be a hell of a lot stronger with the likes of segeyaro, mead and all their UK players added.

 

[heights]

Somoa and Tonga are both in front of Fiji on that performance.

Tonga's ranking of 14 is ridiculous on that performance.

They should be 5. They have some real class in that team.

Fiji need some decent halves badly.

 

[Burns]

As an aside, do we have any confirmed fixtures for any of the Pacific teams for the rest of the year?

 

[The Partisan]

Going by the post match pressers talks are under way but nothing sorted as yet.

 

[hitman51]

So who do we think is the top team in Pacific at the moment? Fiji with a slight edge over Samoa?

Fiji is not on Samoas level When all is available Samoa will allways edge it. Last nights game showed who the two big boys are in the pacific. Samoa and Tonga have the strongest squads and bigges pools to pick from. Overall though Samoa have the players to challenge the rest better than the other pacific teams depending on who is available to them.

 

[RedVee]

Sterlo the latest to float the West Indies style Pacific Islands composite team.

I think that yes on paper they'd be competitive, but I'd rather the Nations play as Nations. They have natural rivalries that lead to great competition. More Polynesian & Melanesian Cup matches, more Pacific Cup matches.

 

[shinobi]

agreed anyone that know Samoans and Tongans knows the rivalries runs deep and you would get a much more passionate game if the teams are kept separate. the island teams really need to look at developing some halves though or maybe just need to convince milford to stick with sa

 

[Evil Homer]

Sterlo the latest to float the West Indies style Pacific Islands composite team.

Ugh. Get out of here with that.

Maybe England should force Australia and NZ to play as The Anzacs.

 

[RedVee]

Ugh. Get out of here with that.

Maybe England should force Australia and NZ to play as The Anzacs.

It's a worry. Short term thinking again. In the last week that makes Fittler, Johns and now Sterlo talking about it. Lockyer and Lewis, to be fair, looked embarrassed at the suggestion but gave a grudging 'yeah'.

 

[crimpo]

Samoa and Tonga always have awesome squads - what happens when the games are actually played tends to be a bit more complicated...

 

[Ryan Chidgey]

It's a worry. Short term thinking again. In the last week that makes Fittler, Johns and now Sterlo talking about it. Lockyer and Lewis, to be fair, looked embarrassed at the suggestion but gave a grudging 'yeah'.

Why dont we step away from the idea of a combined PI team being international and rather have them bash it out against nz or eng to spin some money to feed back to PI nations and players who elect to play for them. Combat the money draw of origin.

Or aus to play winner fiji samoa at end of year and sneakily keep No.1 rank from the kiwis