Internationals TONGA RLWC 2017 Campaign

[drunk_monk]

Man the response to what I thought was the right call is surprising.

I wanted Tonga to be in the final, and even with my bias for them it looked pretty black and white to me.

And I whinge about 50/50 calls all the bloody time.

Still at least they can't be poor losers when the Kiwis blaming the fans was the bar set already

 

[Makasene]

I can understand the anguish some fans have at being so close.

What they need to realise is this is just the beginning for Tongan Rugby League.

 

[Defence]

Man the response to what I thought was the right call is surprising.

I wanted Tonga to be in the final, and even with my bias for them it looked pretty black and white to me.

And I whinge about 50/50 calls all the bloody time.

Still at least they can't be poor losers when the Kiwis blaming the fans was the bar set already

The players have been humble but their fans have taken sore losers to a new level- petitions, marches.... u gotta laugh.

 

[jonesy101]

The players have been humble but their fans have taken sore losers to a new level- petitions, marches.... u gotta laugh.

Lebanon had a howler of a call the week before and ironically lost by 2 points.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/l...l/news-story/4e7dbeed90263932bf1730de9543e22a

 

[gpred]

My initial reaction was that it was a loose carry and that Tonga need to get over it.

But then I thought about it from a Warriors fans point of view. If we (the Warriors) were England and Tonga were the Roosters and this was the NRL grand final here is what happens.

- The ref goes upstairs
- The Aussie in the bunker says "we can clearly see the Warriors player strips the ball, I have a decision going to the board"
- Try Roosters...Warriors lose

We all know this is true.

Loose carry or not, this should have been referred to the bunker.

Having watched it more, I am inclined to think there was a deliberate play at the ball. And though I initially thought Tongan fans were being childish, I would react in the same way if this happened to the Warriors and it was the biggest game in our history.

 

[davewjnz]

and if I was a Lebanese fan I would say Karma's a bitch now move on...

 

[gpred]

and if I was a Lebanese fan I would say Karma's a bitch now move on...

I think if there were 20,000 Lebanese in the stadium singing and chanting and who actually gave a shit about Rugby League we might have heard a bit more from them on this one.

 

[davewjnz]

Had the game been played in Sydney you may have gotten 20,000 Lebs filling the stands.
But the effect doesn't need to come just from the fans when you get such comments from the players.

"I'm pretty heartbroken at the moment," Moses said, dismayed at several disallowed Lebanese tries.

"The boys dug deep and stayed in the game for the 80 minutes.

"Every single player in that (Tonga) team has a full-time contract, and there's probably five of us that do - to see how hard the boys worked and to be pulled up in that manner, it's pretty heartbreaking."

 

[gpred]

Had the game been played in Sydney you may have gotten 20,000 Lebs filling the stands.
But the effect doesn't need to come just from the fans when you get such comments from the players.

"I'm pretty heartbroken at the moment," Moses said, dismayed at several disallowed Lebanese tries.

"The boys dug deep and stayed in the game for the 80 minutes.

"Every single player in that (Tonga) team has a full-time contract, and there's probably five of us that do - to see how hard the boys worked and to be pulled up in that manner, it's pretty heartbreaking."

Have to agree that it might have been a bit different in Sydney! I also think the Tongans could have handled things more graciously.

Just saying as a Warriors fan I can understand where they are coming from. And that my reaction would probably have been pretty similar if this happened to the Warriors in the playoffs.

Just because the Lebansese took what was given to them, doesn't mean we all should. I think if we start to stand up to some of the crap the NRL refs dish up to the Warriors and at international level we might get better and fairer results in the future. If we just keep bending over and taking it, there is nothing surer than the Aussies will keep giving it to us.

 

[davewjnz]

Well, as a long suffering Warriors fan I understand where your coming from. What makes matters worse is when you have Aussie commentators who have no affiliation with the Aussie team but clearly lets you know who he's supporting lol

I can't wait for the rematch tbh. Kiwi's vs Tonga I think Tonga can't get any better and NZ won't be falling asleep and letting Tonga back into the match.
You'd be looking for improvement from their halves between now and the next WC and maybe they will pick up the next big talent.
Actually Tonga could have one of the most settled halves pairing come the next WC in Lolo and Ata.
But at the moment I think everyone will know how to play smarter against them after this WC.

 

[DANZ]

Really think the focus on the last play of the game is unnecessary that's a knock on - Fifita had last touch.

The decision that confused me the most was the Widdop try which was referred as a no try - video ref (a Pom) cleared the not held rightly so then awarded the try without looking at the grounding which I thought Fifita had easily held him up.

The issue here is having the English man in the bunker, why not someone more neutral like any Australian?

 

[Sup42]

The officials and organizers We're never going to cave in to protestors.

But you can predict that Tongan tests in future will have full video Reff referral.

As such the fans have served their future sides as well as Cam Smith at his best.

 

[bruce]

Foundation slams Tongan lawyer's comments on league referee's mental health
The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand has labelled comments linking referee Matt Cecchin's previous mental health issues and his performance in last week's Rugby League World Cup semifinal between Tonga and England as an "unnecessary, cheap shot."

Auckland-based Tongan lawyer Nalesoni Tupou raised concerns about Cecchin's 'mental fitness' to perform his role, given his previous history of mental health issues, in a letter to the Rugby League International Federation, as part of an attempt earlier this week to get the result overturned.

But a spokesperson for the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand said the comments were highly damaging.

"These kind of attacks are unfair and really disappointing in 2017," said Sophia Graham.
Tupou, who stressed he was acting as an individual, took things one step further by filing a six-page formal expression of concern in relation to several aspects of Cecchin's decision.

Tupou opined that Cecchin was negligent in not referring the decision upstairs, and also mentioned previous high profile mistakes committed by Cecchin in an NRL game between the Broncos and the Roosters in 2012.

But his most inflammatory comments were made around Cecchin's previously publicised mental health issues.
"We should be better than this. When people talk like this, it pushes people back into the shadows."

Tongan lawyer questions World Cup referee's mental health history

Tonga was knocked out of the World Cup in controversial circumstances last week, when Cecchin decided not to seek the assistance of the video referee to determine if Andrew Fifita had scored a legitimate try in the last play of the game, with Tonga trailing 20-18.

Cecchin's failure to allow technology to be used sparked widespread protests throughout Auckland, as well as an online petition signed by tens of thousands.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11951505

 

[Gizzyfan]

What an absolutely low, dog act to say such a thing. He is a Lawyer FFS, how does mistakes in 2012 and 2017 constitute a pattern of mental illness.

I am a critic of a lot of NRL policy but their attitude towards Mental Health, particularly suicide has been laudable. That affected a lot of young Polynesian players, not least Tongan ones.

The game was lost, deal with it. Sport is full of teams that should have won and didn't. Blaming the Ref is a cop out. what about passing off the ground and dropping the ball, let alone Fifita's loose carry. Something he has a history of, didn't that contribute.? Archer has come out and said it was the correct decision. No good lashing out when things go against your team. Supporters of every team think the Refs are against their team.

I agree it should have been referred, that does not guarantee it would have been awarded, in fact the opposite, it would have been referred as a no try. I reckon there is no real evidence to reverse the on field decision. It is a tough one as the same maybe could be said if referred as a try.

A mistake was made in not referring the incident, true. Does that guarantee the result would have changed, false. Time to take a cement pill and move on.

 

[bruce]

What an absolutely low, dog act to say such a thing. He is a Lawyer FFS, how does mistakes in 2012 and 2017 constitute a pattern of mental illness.

I am a critic of a lot of NRL policy but their attitude towards Mental Health, particularly suicide has been laudable. That affected a lot of young Polynesian players, not least Tongan ones.

The game was lost, deal with it. Sport is full of teams that should have won and didn't. Blaming the Ref is a cop out. what about passing off the ground and dropping the ball, let alone Fifita's loose carry. Something he has a history of, didn't that contribute.? Archer has come out and said it was the correct decision. No good lashing out when things go against your team. Supporters of every team think the Refs are against their team.

I agree it should have been referred, that does not guarantee it would have been awarded, in fact the opposite, it would have been referred as a no try. I reckon there is no real evidence to reverse the on field decision. It is a tough one as the same maybe could be said if referred as a try.

A mistake was made in not referring the incident, true. Does that guarantee the result would have changed, false. Time to take a cement pill and move on.

One of the worst refereeing blunders I can recall was in the 1999 RWC when France were playing Fiji.

They were the typical Frogs not turning up against a minnow when they always seem to against the All Blacks. Anyway the best referee in the world then was the Kiwi Paddy O'Brien, he reffed this game and basically allowed the French to win when they should not have.

The consequences were serious for NZ because that French team went on to beat the All Blacks in the semi final.

I heard Paddy O'Brien speak about the game later. Like most referees he is a good speaker, and when things got around to this game he was just open and honest "I had a shocker, there is nothing else I can say."

I think that sums up this game. Matt Chechin didn't have a good game, for either side.

 

[matiunz]

Geez Tonga have some class, the way they are carrying on with this “we wuz robbed” mentality to the petitions , the death threats and now this is seriously eroding any positive goodwill they built up over this tournament.
Think you were hard done by?(debatable) come back stronger and beat it next time. 10 mins of showing up is not going to win you a WC

 

[Defence]

I think that sums up this game. Matt Chechin didn't have a good game, for either side.

I thought he did. He had some tough and crucial calls to make and imo got them all right.
Off the top of my head the only thing he missed was that foward pass from tui that they scored off.

 

[charlie bobmarley]

Tupou needs to get off his high horse.

And eat it

 

[Gizzyfan]

Geez Tonga have some class, the way they are carrying on with this “we wuz robbed” mentality to the petitions , the death threats and now this is seriously eroding any positive goodwill they built up over this tournament.
Think you were hard done by?(debatable) come back stronger and beat it next time. 10 mins of showing up is not going to win you a WC

I think we need to recognise that these acts are from a few left field Tonga fans. The team especially, and most supporters have been a credit to the tournament and their country.