Samoa vs. Tonga at the end of the year?

[Azkatro]

According to Big League, "plans are underway to stage a full international between Samoa and Tonga at the end of the year featuring NRL players".

It also mentions that the creating of the ARL player registry has identified 66 players eligible for Samoa, with 41 for Tonga.

I'm not sure exactly who these players are but it would be a great match and I'd be interested to see who was eligible to play for the corresponding nations and hence in this match.

 

[saddog]

If this goes ahead as talk says it will, the location needs to be carefully considered. Maybe playing in NZ is best ATM, as funds any funds raised should be distributed back to the natioms to support their development and fund representative teams on the islands, based on local players.
Playing the game in Sydney will probably not have any effect on the game in both Samoa and Tonga, other than to give Oz based islanders a chance to play together. Same could be said for NZ, but many on the forum seem to suggest there are big islander populations in NZ, which makes the chance of a good crowd higher. The game should be used to promote the sport back home, and recorded for television back there.

 

[Stevo_G]

maybe play it before the tri nations match in auckland, just a quick thought

 

[Hindyscrack]

Or stage the game in Samoa or Tonga to aid the game there?

 

[Sun_Down]

Hope this happens...I wonder how it would go if staged in Samoa or Tonga

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Interesting to see who will play in this game.

Samoa- Shane Laloata, Frank Puletua, Iafeta cantspellhissirname, Danny Lima (if he's still playing)

Tonga- Lipina Kaufusi, Fui Fui Moi Moi, Mal Kaufusi, Antonio Kaufusi, Tevita Vaikona, E Lauaki

 

[saddog]

Ideally that would be great, but I wonder if the earnings potential might be greater in NZ, sponsorship, corporate box sales, crowd, media coverage etc

 

[saddog]

Ideally that would be great, but I wonder if the earnings potential might be greater in NZ, sponsorship, corporate box sales, crowd, media coverage etc

 

[Sun_Down]

Parra_Fan...

Shane Laloata plays for Warringah Rugby now days

Tevita Vaikona plays for the Saracens Rugby now aswell

were you looking at the RLWC2000 sides?

 

[bender]

I think the best place for this is the week before the NRL grand final or even in the week of the NRL grand final. On both of these weeks there is a gap in Friday night football and with all of the attention on the sellout grand final, there is a dearth of top class rugby league. Playing the game in Sydney and on this weekend would leave an opening for the match to be telecast on free to air tv. I know that a couple of eligbile players are likely to miss out because of it, but in the short term, this probably gives the game the best chance to gain exposure, get a crowd, and thus sponsorship dollars. I think the live crowd of such a game would be average at best, but i am certain that it would rate well, probably as well as any FNF. I think that a full blown 3 match Tonga vs Samoa will eventually be played in conjunction with the state of origin series.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Parra_Fan...

Shane Laloata plays for Warringah Rugby now days

Tevita Vaikona plays for the Saracens Rugby now aswell

were you looking at the RLWC2000 sides?

Yeah kinda, but then I though they were staying RL. Last time I checked Vaikona was playing for Bradford against Penrith and Laloata scored 3 tries for the Dragons once.

Is Willie Poching still playing in the ESL? He'd play for Samoa wouldnt he.

 

[Sun_Down]

Wilie Poching? Not sure...But yeh, Tevita Vaikona was at Bradford, but switched to the Saracens...and Shane Laloata went to the Waratahs, but never made it I guess, now he either plays Rugby for the Warringah club, or has quit...I might go ask some Dragon fans...

 

[Sun_Down]

I reckon it should be where the PNG vs Australia date was

 

[hutch]

how about we get some guys who are actually from samoa and tonga, instead of ring ins who grew up in australia but have island heritage. im not saying dont use the grandparent rule, but limit the amount of aus, nz raised players to 6. it will give the game a greater connection to the islands, give local players something to aim for. if the teams are filled with players from australia and nz who have never even been to samoa or tonga it will be a farce. either way, the game definately needs to be broadcast to the islands.

 

[griff]

Playing it in Auckland or wherever might be cheaper and have better potential to make a little bit of money of it. But really this game could do wonders for the code if we played it in the islands themselves. We should be prepared to wear a small extra cost of going to the islands, because this one game would be worth more than that in international development.

 

[Azkatro]

I'm hoping that the ARL makes the list of player eligibilities available to the public once it's completed. I suspect it'll be part of player profiles in the yearly yearbooks produced by David Middleton as it has clearly become an important piece of information.

 

[League Freak™]

Great....lets treat Samoa vs Tonga as a token game.....


I wonder why international Rugby League isnt taken seriously?

 

[westie]

Kinda like Union which is? Your logic is flawed.

 

[League Freak™]

Kinda like Union which is? Your logic is flawed.

Are you ****ing stupid or something.

union sides play 10 times more then their League counterparts.

 

[BatiFan]

If the NRL clubs agree to this game and release their players to represent both nations, then we will see a very high quality game.

Players like Soliolo, Faáoso, Faálogo, Manuokafoa, Frank Puletua, Phillip Leulaui, Paleaaesina, Maiava, Afamasaga, Faiumu would be eligible for the Samoans, whilst Tonga could call on Tame Tupou, Luaki, Antonio Kaufusi, the Paea brothers, Willie Manu, MoiMoi, Charlie Tonga etc. etc.

These are just players eligible from the NRL competition. Then you add in the likes of Solomona, Misili Manu, Sala Faálogo, Faávasula, Feunati, Viane for Samoa and Haumono, Lolohea, Tyrone Smith for the Tongans and you have the makings of a truly high class international game.

I am also a strong advocate of both nations calling on home grown talent as well to ensure that the players playing domestically have something to aim for. As with the Pacific Cup last year, there should be minimum requirement of domestic based players, whcih I personally believe 3 players per side would be sufficient. That would allow both nations to select full strength sides, with the inclusion of say 3 domestic based players which I am confident that those domestic players would be up for the game.