Rugby League World Cup 2017 Thread

i personally don't think fifita should get to play for australia again.

NZ may not have the depth to make such decision with lolo but we do and i think Mal is doing a good job improving the roos culture, if a player decides to play for a minnow, thats fine but don't expect your 20k match payments when australia are playing and they are not


its great for the international game that they are playing for these minnows but i think the nations still need to protect their own integrity and i think us picking fifita again when it suits him would be wrong

Gonna be a few players named in both squads (Tonga and NZ) by the looks. Squads seem like they will be announced simultaneously!

Tonga are going to have a nails pack with Fifita, TPJ, SST, Ma'u and Taumalolo. Tupou, Hurrell, Kata, Feki backline. Just missing at half/hooker but still could give Kiwis a game.

Aus side for me:

Slater
Boyd Chambers Munster Gagai
Morgan Cronk
Woods Smith Klemmer
Cordner Gillett
McGuire

Hunt, Frizell, RCG, JTrbo

Don't think that pack looks amazing, tbh. Hooker apart, Tonga's pack almost looks stronger.

TONGA:
Andrew Fifita
Mahe Fonua
David Fusitu’a
Siliva Havilli
Ata Hingano
Will Hopoate
Konrad Hurrell
Michael Jennings
Solomone Kata
Sione Katoa
Samisoni Langi
Tuimoala Lolohea
Sika Manu
Manu Ma'u
Sam Moa
Ben Murdoch Masila
Joe Ofahengaue
Tevita Pangai jnr
Ukuma Ta'ai
Sio Siua Taukieaho
Jason Taumalolo
Peni Terepo
Daniel Tupou
Manu Vatuvei

Pieman wrote:Im loving it. Really happy to strengthen the international game with these players representing countries of their heritage. I hope it happens more and more.

RCG is the logical replacement but who knows, mal may recall Pieaday after his whinge

Meninga announced RCG as his replacement this morning.

Rippin and Tearin wrote:TONGA:
Andrew Fifita
Mahe Fonua
David Fusitu’a
Siliva Havilli
Ata Hingano
Will Hopoate
Konrad Hurrell
Michael Jennings
Solomone Kata
Sione Katoa
Samisoni Langi
Tuimoala Lolohea
Sika Manu
Manu Ma'u
Sam Moa
Ben Murdoch Masila
Joe Ofahengaue
Tevita Pangai jnr
Ukuma Ta'ai
Sio Siua Taukieaho
Jason Taumalolo
Peni Terepo
Daniel Tupou
Manu Vatuvei

Hoppa
Tupou Jennings Kata Fusitua
Lolohea Hingano
Fifita Katoa Moa
SST Ma'u
Taumalolo
Hurrell, TPJ, BMM, Terepo

Pretty fucking tasty.

Looks pretty solid aye, something like:
1. Hopoate
2. Tupou
3. Jennings
4. Kata
5. Fusitu'a
6. Lolohea
7. Hingano
8. Moa
9. Havilli
10. Fifita
11. Ma'u
12. SST
13. Lolo

with guys like Ofa, TPJ, Vatuvei, Terepo, Hurrell on the bench?

Rippin and Tearin wrote:Looks pretty solid aye, something like:
1. Hopoate
2. Tupou
3. Jennings
4. Kata
5. Fusitu'a
6. Lolohea
7. Hingano
8. Moa
9. Havilli
10. Fifita
11. Ma'u
12. SST
13. Lolo

with guys like Ofa, TPJ, Vatuvei, Terepo, Hurrell on the bench?

Murdoch-Masila and Fonua have both been killing it in ESL this year & could both have a shout (BMM more than Fonua, because Tupou and Fus look like main wingers)

Yeh, maybe my judgement is clouded by Fifita being a certified fuckwit, but Tolo (and friends, if the rumour is true) seems like he had all his reasoning in order, considered the options and made the desicion for the right reasons. With the the timing of the newest development, it seems like Fifita has just read the headline, the positive reaction and gone “shit, i wanna join the cool patrol too”

I'm a bit undecided on the heritage thing. My Dad was Italian, and my mum was the first of her sibling born in Australia of Italian parents. I don't consider myself Italian even though there was some Italian spoken at home as well as English and people at school called me a wog. To be honest, if I was in say Tedesco or Vaughn's situation I don't know if I would even play for Italy if not picked for Australia. I guess it would depend if it's a tournament I wanted to compete in. I certainly don't feel any great connection to Italy.

From that viewpoint I find it really strange when players born and raised in one country choose to play for a country of their heritage rather than their own country (when they actually have a choice, not that they weren't selected in one of the teams). That could be as much about their upbringing and culture compared to mine though and I accept that.

I do find it somewhat ironic that after years of NZ selecting players that were born and grew up in other countries, they are now devastated when it happens to them. I know other countries, including Australia have done that to, but I don't remember us complaining too much when it has happened to us. I guess it's easier to let things slide when you have the depth and generally keep the strongest players anyway.

rhinoceroo wrote:

Murdoch-Masila and Fonua have both been killing it in ESL this year & could both have a shout (BMM more than Fonua, because Tupou and Fus look like main wingers)

Interesting. Yeah Im just guessing as some of these guys Im not familiar with at all. Gonna be a cracking game between NZ and Tonga huh!! I really like that Tonga side.

FYI, odds on a Tonga win have come in from $81 to $21 in the last 24 hours Im told!

Funniest comment I read on Facebook:

Is Aaron Woods Tongan too?

surmo13 wrote:Yeh, maybe my judgement is clouded by Fifita being a certified fuckwit, but Tolo (and friends, if the rumour is true) seems like he had all his reasoning in order, considered the options and made the desicion for the right reasons. With the the timing of the newest development, it seems like Fifita has just read the headline, the positive reaction and gone “shit, i wanna join the cool patrol too”

For starters he at least did it before the NZ team was named.

rhinoceroo wrote:

Murdoch-Masila and Fonua have both been killing it in ESL this year & could both have a shout (BMM more than Fonua, because Tupou and Fus look like main wingers)

How has Moa gone? I thought in his last season for the Roosters he was looking old and slow and nothing like the first couple of seasons when he came back to the NRL. They do have options though. Joe O has been fantastic the last half of the season and I'd be expecting him to be there somewhere.

Dip wrote:I'm a bit undecided on the heritage thing. My Dad was Italian, and my mum was the first of her sibling born in Australia of Italian parents. I don't consider myself Italian even though there was some Italian spoken at home as well as English and people at school called me a wog. To be honest, if I was in say Tedesco or Vaughn's situation I don't know if I would even play for Italy if not picked for Australia. I guess it would depend if it's a tournament I wanted to compete in. I certainly don't feel any great connection to Italy.

From that viewpoint I find it really strange when players born and raised in one country choose to play for a country of their heritage rather than their own country (when they actually have a choice, not that they weren't selected in one of the teams). That could be as much about their upbringing and culture compared to mine though and I accept that.

I do find it somewhat ironic that after years of NZ selecting players that were born and grew up in other countries, they are now devastated when it happens to them. I know other countries, including Australia have done that to, but I don't remember us complaining too much when it has happened to us. I guess it's easier to let things slide when you have the depth and generally keep the strongest players anyway.

Fact is, if we're going to have a meaningful World Cup with more than three teams, we're going to have to be loose with qualifications to flesh out Italy,,Walesetc with NRL and ESL players.

Of course the counter-argument is that this doesn't make it a meaningful World Cup but a sham.

I'd also like to see a mixed Pacific Islands (Tonga/Samoa/Fiji) team, in the manner of West Indies cricket, who I reckon would be really competitive with Aus and beat NZ and GB. Lot of politics to solve, but same with WI and they could always keep their national teams between tournaments.

Dip wrote:

How has Moa gone? I thought in his last season for the Roosters he was looking old and slow and nothing like the first couple of seasons when he came back to the NRL. They do have options though. Joe O has been fantastic the last half of the season and I'd be expecting him to be there somewhere.

I haven't seen much of Moa, but his club (Catalans) have had a nightmare season.

surmo13 wrote:Yeh, maybe my judgement is clouded by Fifita being a certified fuckwit, but Tolo (and friends, if the rumour is true) seems like he had all his reasoning in order, considered the options and made the desicion for the right reasons. With the the timing of the newest development, it seems like Fifita has just read the headline, the positive reaction and gone “shit, i wanna join the cool patrol too”

Or he has been thinking about it for a long time, is still dirty he was banned for the wrist tape writing thing and thought, fuck it I am going to do it too. It's odd timing that he has done it after he was announced in the side - and this might end his Aus rep career too.

I didnt know Jennings was Tongan, I thought he was Fijian. (wiki tells me he is of tongan, Fijian and english descent)

Just listened to the press conference for the Kiwis naming.

I actually thought Kidwell and Nikau spoke really well. Passion is there, good answers etc.

Now its about execution. Time will tell there. But if the players buy into what both those two guys were talking to, then the Kiwis will go well. This may actually be what was required to get them on a better path than what they've been on for the last 18 months or so.

KIWIS: Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Gerard Beale, Adam Blair, Kenneath Bromwich, Addin Fonua-Blake, Peta Hiku, Shaun Johnson, Thomas Leuluai, Danny Levi, Isaac Liu, Simon Mannering, Te Maire Martin, Jason Nightingale, Kodi Nikorima, Russell Packer, Jordan Rapana, Brad Takairangi, Joseph Tapine, Martin Taupau, Elijah Taylor, Roger Tuivasa Sheck, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Dean Whare.

No benji