Tonga v Samoa teams for Oct 7

[Big Bunny]

Manuokafoa and Maitua Selected in National Sides


South Sydney's Manase Manuokafoa and Lydan Maitua have been selected to represent Tonga and Samoa respectively in a match to be played at Campbelltown Stadium on Friday, October 7 at 7:30pm.

Manuokafoa has been selected to play in the Royce Simmons and Jim Dymock coached Tongan side, after a successful debut season in the NRL which saw him win the Rabbitohs' Rookie of the Year award along with centre Yileen Gordon.

Maitua has been selected in the Samoan side to be coached by former Australian coach Chris Anderson.

Everyone at South Sydney would like to congratulate both Manase and Lydan on their selection in the Tongan and Samoan sides and wish them the best of luck in the game.

The Samoan side is:

1. Chan Ly (Windsor)
2. Jermaine Ale (Canberra Raiders)
3. Steven Matai (Manly Warringah)
4. George Carmont (Newcastle Knights)
5. McKonkie Tauasa (Sydney Roosters)
6. Lydan Matua (South Sydney)
7. Marcus Perenara (Parramatta Eels)
8. Phil Leuluai (Sharks)
9. Henry Perenara (Parramatta Eels)
10. Hutch Maiava (Sharks)
11. Kylie Leuluai (Manly Warringah)
12. Jeff Lima(Tigers)
13. Jeremy Smith (Brisbane Norths)
14. Jack Afamasaga (Parramatta Eels)
15. Sam Tagatese (Melbourne Storm)
16. Clifford Manu(Sharks)
17. Filinga Filiga (Bulldogs)

Coach - Chris Anderson
Manager - Nigel Vagana

The Tongan side is:

1. Chris Tuatara (Melbourne Storm)
2. John Sinisa (Newtown Jets)
3. Lopini Paea (Sydney Roosters)
4. David Pangai (Wests Tigers)
5. Makasini Richter (Bulldogs)
6. Lelea Paea (Sydney Roosters)
7. Feleti Mateo (London Broncos)
8. Aaron Cannings (Parramatta)
9. Ben Roberts (Western Suburbs)
10. Shenelle Haumono (Penrith Panthers)
11. Richard Fa’aso (Sydney Roosters)
12. Willie Manu (Dragons)
13. Antonio Kaufusi (Melbourne Storm)
14. Michael Jennings (Penrith Panthers)
15. Tyrone Smith (London Broncos)
16. Junior Ahio (Penrith Panthers)
17. Manase Manuokafoa (South Sydney)

Coaches - Royce Simmons and Jim Dymock
Manager - Fui Fui Moi Moi

 

[girvie]

Is this match on tv?

There are some good players there but a few players are named out of their normal position.


How does Chan Ly qualify for Samoa?

 

[aqua_duck]

Should be a great game, some pretty decent 1st graders on both sides.

 

[Jackal Dog]

So are these basically trials for the NZ team? cause you would think players like Marcus Perenara, Richard Fa'aso and Manase Manuokafoa would be earmarked for the kiwi's in the future.

 

[Ari Gold]

f**k they actually got 6+ NRL players in each team, this will be quality.

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

Two Pacific Island teams from the NRL/Queensland Cup and not one player from a club that is 90% Pacific Islanders .

I can smell something from the Warriors headquaters !

 

[coldhardbitch]

should be a cracker. will be an interesting result. Hopefully they can keep these terams together for the world cup

 

[bender]

Two Pacific Island teams from the NRL/Queensland Cup and not one player from a club that is 90% Pacific Islanders .

I can smell something from the Warriors headquaters !

I could be wrong, but it sounds to me like those who have been chosen/picked are the ones who are prepared to commit their future to the two individual nations. You would expect most of the warriors players would fancy their chances of playing for NZ and commit there.

I thought it was a little disappointing that Joe Vagana (former captain of Samoa) isnt playing, but if it means the guys chosen are fully committed, then i think it is great. Incidentally, both sides would have to fancy their chances against france if they ever met.

 

[screeny]

Big Joe still wants a black jumper by all accounts....

 

[Ari Gold]

and he is representing his club back in England.... lets not forget that

 

[Thunderstruck]

Those lists need correction
Sam Tagatese - Brisbane Norths
Chris Tuatara - North Sydney
Jeremy Smith - Melbourne Storm

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Two Pacific Island teams from the NRL/Queensland Cup and not one player from a club that is 90% Pacific Islanders .

I can smell something from the Warriors headquaters !

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

Frigging hypocrites.

Good on these guys who want to play for these tiny islands, at least they have the balls to do it, atleast they show the young kids that they to can make a bloody good living if they choose to play the greatest game.
Travel the world, make money, have fun and maybe just maybe with the money they earn, they might be able to help those less fortunate back home.

I'm so sick of every bloody sport giving it to RL, when every bloody sport does the same damn thing.

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

 

[milton]

Solomon Haumono and John Hopoate are also missing from the Tongan side

 

[BatiFan]

These teams are controlled by Aussies, chosen by Aussies and the game will be played in Australia. Basically it is a real kick in the gut for Samoa and Tonga as rugby league nations that they could not even get to nominate who they wanted to play for their respective nations. The squads have some positives to them in the fact that people like Phil Leulaui who played for Samoa back in the 2000 WC get the opportunity to once again don his national colours and for a young Polenisean guys like Manase Manukafoa, McKonkie Tauasa, Filiga Filinga, Antonio Kaufusi the Paea brothers get to play for their nations. Hopefully all these young guys will stick with either Samoa or Tonga for future games.

On the game itself, the Samoan backs look great, while the forward pack for Tonga looks awesome. Hopefully this fixture will become an annual event and actually be played back in either Tonga or Samoa next year.

 

[kiwi_man]

with this game being played a week b4 aussies v kiwis does this rule out the likes of hutch maiava and big phil leuleuai more so hutch as he is more in contention?

 

[roopy]

This would be a great game to be on the undercard for Aus V NZ.
It could even be a better game.

With all the PI juniors coming through in the next few years these teams will be fantastic by 2008 - and Fiji as well.

Jermaine Ale has always been a favourite of mine since he was a Knights Flegg player and Aus schoolboy in 2002. I'd love to see him star in the WC - and he will be an amazing, blockbusting winger by 2008 IMO.

 

[In-goal]

It's a shame that this match will be played in Australia when it would be a great chance to take it to tonga or samoa

 

[screeny]

batifan, are you saying that you know for a fact that the Tongan and Samoan RL people had absolutely no say in the compilation of the two sides?

 

[playdaball]

Somebody said it earlier but Chan Ly is from Cambodia. He may have played with Samoans in the past but he does not qualify - a mistake or a bending the rules? there are many players in NZ or Aust who can play fullback.

 

[BatiFan]

Look at the squads and you will notice a common theme bar two exceptions in Feleti Mateo and Tyrone Smith - NO NZ based players, NO English based players and certainly NO Samoan or Tongan players!!!

This game is run by the ARL and we can all guess where the money raised from the match will go. ARL!

I dont want to disrespect any players as I know they all play at a fairly good level, but if people are going to try and justify these teams as fully blown Test teams I think they are kidding themselves.

I have spoken to the Samoa Rugby League and know for certain that they have several players who this season played for the Manu Samoa side against the Wallabies that now play both codes. Surely one or two of these players at least could have been selected??? And Tonga, what about players like Luaki, Latu and Toshio Laiseni from the Warriors and Tame Tupou from the Broncos who were either all born in Tonga or at least spent a great deal of time back in their native lands???

As I said in an earlier post I am just glad to see a player like McKonkie Tauasa who was actually born in Samoa now playing for his country. Hopefully this will be the first of plenty of games for him in the Blue of Samoa.