Internationals Pacific Series

[Fonzie]

I'd like to see the NRL capitalise on the World Cup by having a Pacific Series on years 1 and 3 of the World Cup cycle (WC in year 4, NH/SH tours in year 2) as follows:

Pool 1 - NZ, Tonga, Samoa - three games played over three weeks entirely in NZ, where the diaspora is. NZ v Tonga, NZ v Samoa, Tonga v Samoa. This gives NZ some top level content.

Pool 2 - Aus, PNG, Fiji - Aus v PNG played in PNG (replaces PMs13); PNG v Fiji played in Suva; Aus v Fiji played in Oz. The travel and staging costs of this pool to be funded by the Aus Gov as part of its pacific diplomacy budget.

Final - Winner Pool 1 v Winner Pool 2 played at Eden Park (guaranteeing at least one of NZ, Samoa and Tonga will be there so a 30k+ crowd is likely).

I am deliberately excluding the Cook Islands because I want the format to fit within 4 weeks all up, and I don't see them having the population base to be a long term sustainable top tier nation (sorry, no offence intended )

Anyway, just capturing the thought

Edit - the final would be a triple header Pacific festival, with a 2v2 and 3v3 cross pool playoff.

 

[eudebrito]

NRL counterpoint: like your idea, but we play it in regional Australia where they love their rugby league, in Newcastle and Canberra (but have less brown people) and Australia get a bye through to the final. All suspensions accrued during the NRL season will be deferred to this tournament also.

 

[playdaball]

I like the idea.
Some of the best games I’ve seen have been South Pacific games ( 1992 final , Samoa vs Tonga at Carlaw Park up to Nz vs Tonga this year at MSS).
A little hard on the Cooks, but can understand. It’s also important to keep it all fairly even in terms of scores.
Any thoughts about the old tri series … Aust, NZ, England?
International football is VIP and the biggest potential is right on our doorstep!

 

[Domo MC]

Jeez Fonzie.. any chance you can quit your day job & run the NRL. Great concept, for the good of the game💪🏽

 

[TheMorningEmu]

NRL counterpoint: like your idea, but we play it in regional Australia where they love their rugby league, in Newcastle and Canberra (but have less brown people)

To be fair to the NRL (🤮), The idea Fonzie has thrown up isn't all that dissimilar to the short lived Oceania Cup and of the 6 games played for that "tournament" only 2 were in AU, with the rest in NZ.

Cup
NZ vs Tonga - Auckland
AU vs NZ - Wollongong
Tonga vs AU - Auckland
Shield
PNG vs Samoa - Sydney
Samoa vs Fiji - Auckland
Fiji vs PNG - Christchurch

That said though, Port Moresby and Suva really should be hosting games, and while I imagine that Tonga and Samoa would want to host their home games in Auckland, hosting games in Samoa and Tonga would be good to see.

The way I see it, you could go one of two ways about it..

- Have the two big dogs actually visit the smaller countries, with the final played as a triple header, alternating between NZ and Australia (Ideally it would just be in Auckland every time, but for a comp that would be run by the ARL, I don't think they would go for the Kangaroos having no games in Australia)
Samoa vs NZ - Apia
Tonga vs NZ - Nuku'alofa
Tonga vs Samoa - Auckland
Fiji vs AU - Suva
PNG vs AU - Port Moresby
PNG vs Fiji - Sydney
(I understand this option probably wouldn't be financially viable, or popular with a lot of people)

- Have the two dogs host home games against the smaller four, with the match ups between the smaller countries alternating home games
NZ vs Samoa - Christchurch
NZ vs Tonga - Wellington
Tonga vs Samoa - Auckland (or alternate between Nuku'alofa and Apia)
AU vs PNG - Townsville
AU vs Fiji - Sydney
PNG vs Fiji - Port Moresby (Alternating with Suva)

 

[Sky Waka]

I'd like to see 3 games test series'

A: NZ vs Samoa
B: Tonga vs Fiji
C: PNG vs Cook Islands

Winners of B AND C go up and loses of A and B go down the following year.

Leave the Kangaroos to go play England or with themselves.

 

[Sky Waka]

What Niue, Tokelau & US could (partially) look like if players defected.

NIUE
1 Latrel Schaumkel
2 Alfred Smalley
3 Siosifa Talakai
4
5
6 Dylan Brown
7
8 Isaac Liu
9
10 Toafofoa Sipley
11 Felise Kaufusi
12 Keaon Koloamatangi
13 Tevita Pangai Jr

14
15 Heilum Luki
16 Fonua Pole
17 Makahesi Makatoa
18 Wes Lolo
19 Patrick Kaufusi
20 Tristan Alvarado

TOKELAU
1 Jamayne Isaako
2 Matt Feagai
3 Ricky Leutele
4 Max Feagai
5 Ken Maumalo
6
7
8 Ava Seumanufagai
9
10 Braden Hamlin-Uele
11 Nelson Asofa-Solomona
12 Tyrell Fuimaono
13 Renouf Atoni

14
15 Jirah Momoisea
16 Justin Matamua
17 Caleb Uele
18 Jesse Sene-Lefao

USA
1 Ronaldo Mulitalo
2 Lorenzo Mulitalo
3 Izack Tago
4 Deine Mariner
5 Bureta Faraimo
6
7
8 Royce Hunt (part Hawaiian)
9
10 Franklin Pele
11 Jerome Veve (US born)
12 Joseph Vuna (US born)
13 Tyler Dupree (great uncle won Superbowl with Dallas)

14
15 Luke Bain (US born, played for Scotland at WC)
16
17
18 Jake Tago

 

[Hardyman's Yugo]

Could Cook’s tour the UK and play Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Cumbria? Do they have the funds to do that?