Aussie v Tonga (4 weeks out) : Mon Sep 24, 2018 12:04 am  

SOLD OUT! https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/show.aspx?sh=KANGATON18 Has to be an argument for a PI test at Mt Smart every year........ Alas, the game the week before is not even half sold as of today

SOLD OUT! https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/show.aspx?sh=KANGATON18 Has to be an argument for a PI test at Mt Smart every year........ Alas, the game the week before is not even half sold as of today

Re: Aussie v Tonga (4 weeks out) : Mon Sep 24, 2018 5:14 am  

England and New Zealand should have been fighting it out over who was going to play a test series against Tonga, instead both countries shunned the new International powerhouse. As it stands New Zealand are in a very poor financial state and have to pay the Australian team $20000 a man for their only home fixture. How foolish.

A Four Nations between England, France, New Zealand and Tonga would have been very successful, with the 1st round fixtures France v England in France and New Zealand v Tonga in New Zealand.

Re: Aussie v Tonga (4 weeks out) : Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:31 am  

Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote:

England and New Zealand should have been fighting it out over who was going to play a test series against Tonga, instead both countries shunned the new International powerhouse. As it stands New Zealand are in a very poor financial state and have to pay the Australian team $20000 a man for their only home fixture. How foolish.

A Four Nations between England, France, New Zealand and Tonga would have been very successful, with the 1st round fixtures France v England in France and New Zealand v Tonga in New Zealand.

Tonga in South Auckland will sell every day...... Tonga in Wigan, Huddersfield and Hull is a different matter all together...... And there are 11 aussies, 12 kiwis and only 6 Tongan in the 29 man squad..... So calling them a powerhouse is a tad adventurous....

Re: Aussie v Tonga (4 weeks out) : Mon Sep 24, 2018 1:19 pm  

I’d say this squad is fully Tongan and certainly fair to describe them as a powerhouse https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/coupler. ... de0f86452f

I’d say this squad is fully Tongan and certainly fair to describe them as a powerhouse https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/coupler. ... de0f86452f

Re: Aussie v Tonga (4 weeks out) : Mon Sep 24, 2018 7:05 pm  

[*]6 Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote: I’d say this squad is fully Tongan and certainly fair to describe them as a powerhouse https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/coupler. ... de0f86452f 11 of those players born in australia, 12 in new Zealand and some have already played for those coujuries. ......6 Tongan of whom 4 won't make the cut.......and 1world cup of note doesn't make them a powerhouse

[*]6 Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote: I’d say this squad is fully Tongan and certainly fair to describe them as a powerhouse https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/coupler. ... de0f86452f 11 of those players born in australia, 12 in new Zealand and some have already played for those coujuries. ......6 Tongan of whom 4 won't make the cut.......and 1world cup of note doesn't make them a powerhouse

Re: Aussie v Tonga (4 weeks out) : Mon Sep 24, 2018 7:07 pm  

Doesn't a team have to be good and actually win things to be considered a powerhouse?

Re: Aussie v Tonga (4 weeks out) : Mon Sep 24, 2018 7:23 pm  

Willzay wrote:

Doesn't a team have to be good and actually win things to be considered a powerhouse?

See Tonga’s World Cup results. The only game they lost was against England, which you could argue they actually won.

Re: Aussie v Tonga (4 weeks out) : Mon Sep 24, 2018 8:55 pm  

That does not make them a powerhouse. Australia and NZ are only the two international powerhouses, considering they're the only two teams who have won anything meaningful the past decade.

Re: Aussie v Tonga (4 weeks out) : Mon Sep 24, 2018 9:01 pm  

Willzay wrote:

That does not make them a powerhouse. Australia and NZ are only the two international powerhouses, considering they're the only two teams who have won anything meaningful the past decade.

New Zealand are a powerhouse but Tonga are not. New Zealand have achieved absolutely nothing recently, they lost to Tonga and Fiji plus they drew with Scotland. You will have to explain that one.

Re: Aussie v Tonga (4 weeks out) : Tue Sep 25, 2018 1:05 am  

Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote:

New Zealand are a powerhouse but Tonga are not. New Zealand have achieved absolutely nothing recently, they lost to Tonga and Fiji plus they drew with Scotland. You will have to explain that one.

I'll try...but let me know if you'd like me to come back and do it again with pictures

In the last 5 Years:

Tonga have played 15 games losing to Samoa 3 times, PNG, England and Scotland once each, whilst beating Samoa and the Cook Islands twice, Italy, Lebanon, Fiji, New Zealand and Scotland.
The 2013 RLWC saw Tonga defeat Italy and the Cooks, but lose to Scotland and bow out at the group stage, whilst in 2017 with a side stacked with 1 tongan born player, they reached the semi-final, which they lost BTW.......it says it in the record books.

New Zealand played 27 games, Losing to Australia 8 times, England twice and Fiji and Tonga one time each. The Also drew with Scotland, whilst defeating Samoa 3 times, Australia twice, England Twice, Scotland Twice, France, PNG and The Cook Islands.
The 2013 RLWC saw New Zealand reach the final, whilst the 2014 4 Nations saw them crowned as champions after defeating Australia twice and England once as well as Samoa, who knocked Tonga out in qualifying. After a player revolt stripped them of players unhappy with drug takers being banned, they performed terribly at the RLWC 2017 only making the Quarter Finals.....
So to recap.
Tonga, a team of mercenary supporters of drug cheats have beaten 1 tier 1 nation to reach a RLWC Semi-final in five years fielding a team containing one Tongan born payer, whilst the other has appeared in 2 major finals, wining one and a RLWC quarter Final as well and has beaten tier 1 nations 4 times in that period.

Fiji have made the last 3 World Cup Semi-finals and each time were beaten by Australia, the world number 1 side....your new false idols were beaten by the #3 ranked side.......I know you're a troll, but at least try to be subtle