Tonga v Samoa teams for Oct 7

[carlnz]

I think 2,500 is an ok sized crowd for little to no promotion. Pitty really because they could of got at least 8-10,000 for a match like this.

 

[bender]

I think 2,500 is an ok sized crowd for little to no promotion. Pitty really because they could of got at least 8-10,000 for a match like this.

After arguing against many on this board all year, in support of playing the game here with strong NRL based teams and not necessarrilly local players, I think it was a complet embarassment to the ARL that had little promotion and no TV. A complete waste of a potential 300,000 to 50000 tv audience (in Qld and NSW) for the international game and as you said a potential crowd of 8 to 10 thousand. Absolutely dreadful promotion. The only positive i can think of is that maybe there was too much effort into the actual organisation of the first fixture and behind the scenes jostling (eg scouting eligible players etc) and now that the game has been played, it will be easier to make it an annual fixture.

 

[carlnz]

After arguing against many on this board all year, in support of playing the game here with strong NRL based teams and not necessarrilly local players, I think it was a complet embarassment to the ARL that had little promotion and no TV. A complete waste of a potential 300,000 to 50000 tv audience (in Qld and NSW) for the international game and as you said a potential crowd of 8 to 10 thousand. Absolutely dreadful promotion. The only positive i can think of is that maybe there was too much effort into the actual organisation of the first fixture and behind the scenes jostling (eg scouting eligible players etc) and now that the game has been played, it will be easier to make it an annual fixture.

Mate its pathetic, i mean look at Cook Islands vs NZ Maori they got it on TV live to the Islands!! I know its the first time in their history but lets hope its not the last.

 

[bender]

Mate its pathetic, i mean look at Cook Islands vs NZ Maori they got it on TV live to the Islands!! I know its the first time in their history but lets hope its not the last.

Maybe the Cook Islands should be put in charge of all Oceania based international competitions they seem to be right on the ball with all aspects of running their own country. It wouldnt surprise me at all, if they were to run an Aust based NZ v Australia test far better than whoever runs it now currently does!

 

[hutch]

the arl shouldnt be running internationals involving 2 other countries. on the other hand, who else is going to run it. certainly not the rlif.

 

[winnyason]

these are other players that should be considered in matches in future

solo homomo(london) - tonga, henry fafili(warrington) - samoa, willie poaching - samoa, anthony swann(england) - samoa, mal kafusi(london) - tonga & antonio Kaufusi(melbourne) - tonga.

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

I think they have made the right decision to played this game in Sydney . I think they would be lucky to get a crowd of 2000 if they had played in Tonga or Samoa .

I mean , Who would want to watch players they have never heard of ?

 

[screeny]

I think they have made the right decision to played this game in Sydney . I think they would be lucky to get a crowd of 2000 if they had played in Tonga or Samoa .

I mean , Who would want to watch players they have never heard of ?

PW, surely you've just delivered a huge insult to your fellow Samoans.

Are you seriously suggesting that your countrymen are so apathetic, so disinterested, contrary and cavalier that they have absolutely no interest in RL unless it's stuffed down their throats?

Don't you think many of them follow the sport online, through papers, radio broadcasts etc (do they get any NRL on satellite? I'm sure Fox will go to the islands, no?).

You're very disparaging of your own people.

 

[griff]

Hmm, back when I was arguing that the game should be played in Samoa or Tonga the argument was that it must be played in Sydney because of 1) corporate facilities, 2) broadcast quality television, and 3) to raise money which could then go into development on the islands.

1) how many corporate sponsors actually turned up? doubt it was many

2) was it televised? no, only pictures we have are blurry digital pics

3) Would the gate have even met the costs of renting the stadium?

 

[Woods99]

PW, surely you've just delivered a huge insult to your fellow Samoans.

Are you seriously suggesting that your countrymen are so apathetic, so disinterested, contrary and cavalier that they have absolutely no interest in RL unless it's stuffed down their throats?

Don't you think many of them follow the sport online, through papers, radio broadcasts etc (do they get any NRL on satellite? I'm sure Fox will go to the islands, no?).

You're very disparaging of your own people.

Screeny,

I don't know much about Samoa at first hand, but I do about Tonga. Very few people can afford to buy newspapers, even fewer have tv sets, and the local tv which runs for a couple of hours each night consists of repeats of just a few videos. Computers? On-line sport? Satellite broadcasts? Mate, you are joking. We are talking about the Pacific Islands, which are poor countries. That's one reason that so many of their young men emigrate to play professional sport, if they can. There are no local jobs.

Tongan families rely on overseas remittances, which make up more than 50% of GDP. Families unlucky enough not to have a close relative working overseas live in abject poverty.

 

[screeny]

Screeny,

I don't know much about Samoa at first hand, but I do about Tonga. Very few people can afford to buy newspapers, even fewer have tv sets, and the local tv which runs for a couple of hours each night consists of repeats of just a few videos. Computers? On-line sport? Satellite broadcasts? Mate, you are joking. We are talking about the Pacific Islands, which are poor countries. That's one reason that so many of their young men emigrate to play professional sport, if they can. There are no local jobs.

Tongan families rely on overseas remittances, which make up more than 50% of GDP. Families unlucky enough not to have a close relative working overseas live in abject poverty.

Admittedly, I know nothing about the Islands. But you paint a picture of a third world community - what about the cities? Don't these islands' capital cities have sophisticated centres? I'm sure they must do. I've seen photos of Suva and it looks pretty modern.

Anyway, I take your point.

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

PW, surely you've just delivered a huge insult to your fellow Samoans.

Are you seriously suggesting that your countrymen are so apathetic, so disinterested, contrary and cavalier that they have absolutely no interest in RL unless it's stuffed down their throats?

Don't you think many of them follow the sport online, through papers, radio broadcasts etc (do they get any NRL on satellite? I'm sure Fox will go to the islands, no?).

You're very disparaging of your own people.

Screeny , this is not an insult mate . I know you would like to think that the Island are rugby league mad or support their national team at any sport .

This is not the case . People in Samoa don't know or know little about league and they defently don't know much about the players who played in the NRL .

There is no league on local newspapers , radios and defently no Fox TV over there .

You just have to see my point to understand . If the Samoan population in Auckland (double that of Samoa) and Sydney ( not sure of the Samoan population in Sydney ) only turn up in their hundreds to support Samoa rugby league when playing .
Even with all the NRL , radio broadcasts , Fox TV , FTA TV , newspapers , internet and players profile etc .

What are the chance of people in Samoa turning up in their thousands to watch something they have never heard of or seeing and let alone players never heard of ?

 

[taipan]

All the more reason to have the Pacific islands in the 2008WC.The Kiwis win against the Roos wouldnt have done any harm either.Tonga and Cook islands are at least much more rugby league savvy than Samoa is at present,so what ! there is such a thing as newspapers and radio,which may in fact give world cup coverage.

No harm in trying,union is trying in PNG and league is no1 by the length of the galaxy.

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

I agree that the Pacific Islanders should be at the RLWC in 2008 like before . The Kiwi's have beaten the Kangaroo's before but I guess it benefit those in NZ because it wasn't shown in the Pacific .

TV , Newspapers and radio gives alot of NFL courage (more than league) to the Pacific Islands but still American football is very little there .

No harm in trying Taipan , but still we know who is no 1 by the length of the galaxy in Samoa , Tonga and Fiji .

 

[Woods99]

Admittedly, I know nothing about the Islands. But you paint a picture of a third world community - what about the cities? Don't these islands' capital cities have sophisticated centres? I'm sure they must do. I've seen photos of Suva and it looks pretty modern.

Anyway, I take your point.

Screeny,

My comments were not about Fiji. They were primarily about Tonga, and I assume that Samoa is at about the same stage of development as Tonga.

The capital city of Tonga has about 20 or 30 shops in it, and a couple of hotels and government buildings. Tonga is definitely a third world country. It will never ever be able to support a professional domestic sporting league for any code....although there will always be a lot of unemployed kids and young men willing to play for nothing in the hope of being offered an overseas contract.

 

[Woods99]

Why is it only RL cops it from everyone?

The papers
The TV
Other codes
Our Own fans

People play Soccer all over the world, some of these people don't live in their home country, some have never set foot in their old country,(GP Rules) yet know one give a farging damn about that, yet RL does it and we get bashed from pillar to post

All soccer playing nations have domestic leagues. League got criticised at the last RLWC because several "national" teams were totally composed of expatriates, and there was no local domestic competition. For example, Ireland.

How many bloody japanese where in the 2003 RUWC?
Nuff said

26 out of their squad of 30 were Japanese. All of the rest played in the Japanese domestic competition, and qualified by residency to play for Japan.

I do not want to have an argument. But league needs to ensure that there are simple, transparent, and consistent rules for national teams. It seems obvious that the first requirement for a national team is that there is a viable domestic competition in that country. The idea of creating a national team just to compete in internationals is something that people will laugh at, fairly in my opinion.

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

There's nothing wrong with Brent Webb playing for the Kiwi's because he lived in NZ for more than three years .
So I guess there's nothing wrong with those four non Japanese who played for them in the RWC .

It would be wrong if the Kiwi's and Japanese selected this players while living overseas and never set foot in NZ and Japan .

 

[taipan]

You can be certain that if Ireland,Scotland or Wales have their own teams in the 2008WC,they will either be from their local domestic rugby league comps,or born in those countries and playing in the ESL and National rugby league.We are still talking 3 years away and these leagues will continue to grow.

Woods 99 several national teams totally composed of expatriates ???-Lebanon yes and i didnt agree with that,Russia no and you probably fell in to the same trap by ignorance as Mike Carlton did by stating all the Russian players were expats,when in fact 5 were ,the rest all from the local Russian comp.Carlton let the facts get in the way trying to get a point acrosss ,in his continual ridicule of intnl rugby league.
League got criticised because expats were included,the players in the union world cup such as the USA didnt.Its what they call media with a memory lapse.

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

So its the USA now . What happen to the Japanese world cup squad ? Were the whole of the USA team expats ?

 

[taipan]

So its the USA now . What happen to the Japanese world cup squad ? Were the whole of the USA team expats ?

Never said the US was completely expats read what I said mate.
Try one of the USA halves for starters,anyway I am not going to get into a TFC with you.All i am saying is that when union journos talk about a league team completely made up of expats,when it is not such as Russia ,its damn lies,if you cant see that PW then I cant help you. They are talking BS and you agree with them then ?