Australia vs Tonga

[Davo5]

4 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

Are there highlights of this game on Sky this week. Had a quick look and can’t see them anywhere. 

Try catchup later in the week,it usually dosent appear straight after the game.

[Dunbar]

9 minutes ago, Yorkshire Knight said:

To put it purely down to 'progress' is naive

I am not putting the result down to progress.  I am saying the result is progress.

[GansonTheClown]

Tonga looked a bit rusty in the first half, basically game over at half time. Unbelievable atmosphere again! never seen anything like it at a RL match.

[henage]

17 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

Are there highlights of this game on Sky this week. Had a quick look and can’t see them anywhere. 

ON YOUTUBE

[Futtocks]

 

[Scubby]

2 hours ago, Futtocks said:

Let's play "spot the Australia fans".

  

Yes, it's a bloody joke before anyone gets on their high horse!!

[henage]

Like I said in an earlier post , like England v France on Wednesday 

[Scubby]

2 hours ago, Omott91 said:

Hopefully this game stops the Nrl bashing that is very frequent on this forum. Yes they could do more but this would not have happened without the Nrl and the Kangaroos taking a pay cut for this game. Tonight was a great advert for the international game unlike that embarrassing cock up of a fixture the Rfl served up on Wednesday.

 

The NRL are very carefully trying to stage manage International RL to protect its two major products (NRL and SOO). They are doing a very good job of trying to hoodwink people. They have taken away the Anzac Test from the calendar and tried everything in their powers to block the Denver test. They are keeping the RFL/GB at arms length as it doesn't fit in with their plans. They put the minimum amount of energy needed into the 2017 World Cup. When did the NRL bunker become part of International RL?

Let's bump the Australian national side to the end of the season forever more.

[paulwalker71]

41 minutes ago, Scubby said:

  

Yes, it's a bloody joke before anyone gets on their high horse!!

Probably the funniest post on this forum ever 

[Allora]

18 minutes ago, Scubby said:

The NRL are very carefully trying to stage manage International RL to protect its two major products (NRL and SOO). They are doing a very good job of trying to hoodwink people. They have taken away the Anzac Test from the calendar and tried everything in their powers to block the Denver test. They are keeping the RFL/GB at arms length as it doesn't fit in with their plans. They put the minimum amount of energy needed into the 2017 World Cup. When did the NRL bunker become part of International RL?

Let's bump the Australian national side to the end of the season forever more.

What did the NRL have to do with the 2017 World Cup......

Nothing.

The Denver Test failed because it was a mental concept put together by a Snake Oil salesman.

[Scubby]

2 minutes ago, Allora said:

What did the NRL have to do with the 2017 World Cup......

Nothing.

Sums it up.

[Allora]

9 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Sums it up.

What does the SL Clubs have to do with the International game?

As is often said in England  "Its not in their Remit"

[Luckycreed]

10 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Sums it up.

I think what he means is at least in theory international football and indeed interstate football is the territory of  the ARL not the NRL although exactly  how the two bureaucracies interact these day's I wouldn't have the foggiest.  

[Scubby]

Just now, Luckycreed said:

I think what he means is at least in theory international football and indeed interstate football is the territory of  the ARL not the NRL although exactly  how the two bureaucracies interact these day's I wouldn't have the foggiest.  

The CEO of the World Cup 2017 was appointed from within the NRL. He is now an NRL club CEO. Todd Greenberg CEO of the NRL was on the 2017 WC board.

It's like saying the RFL/SL aren't responsible for the 2021 WC when the CEO of this competition has just left the RFL to take up the appointment.

[Man of Kent]

42 minutes ago, Scubby said:

The NRL are very carefully trying to stage manage International RL to protect its two major products (NRL and SOO). They are doing a very good job of trying to hoodwink people.

They are doing a very good job of growing the Pacific nations.

[Scubby]

7 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

They are doing a very good job of growing the Pacific nations.

Did they engineer the en-bloc defection of a number of players (even some named for Aus/NZ)? Did they manage to quickly announce a mid-season double header at Cambelltown when a tidal wave of interest was growing for Tonga in NZ? The NRL are selling the Pacific Tests as part of an NRL broadcast deal to fill Fox Sports Super Saturday during Origin spare weekend.

Ultimately they are trying to micro manage the International game around the NRL brand. England didn't play ball in 2018 like they did in 2017 (going to Sydney) so they will be shut out next year. Co-incidence no GB games in Australia in 2019?

[Man of Kent]

7 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Ultimately they are trying to micro manage the International game around the NRL brand. England didn't play ball in 2018 like they did in 2017 (going to Sydney) so they will be shut out next year. Co-incidence no GB games in Australia in 2019?

The NRL’s priority is clearly the Pacific, not England/GB. I welcome that.

The goal should be for rugby league to be the dominant code in the region, or at least run it close, with benefits accruing for not just the NRL but also the international game. More players etc.

The NRL is now talking about new Pacific comps. That might not be your ideal growth of the international game, but it is international growth.

 

[DoubleD]

Back to the game, and I thought the rustiness of Tonga showed early on. It’s a real shame they couldn’t have played one of the other Pacific islands the week beforehand. They grew into the game and dominated a lot of the second half. Taukieaho was immense, Taumololo was good and Pangai Jr must be the best 2nd rower in the game right now. For Australia, Cordner stood up well, Jake Trbyovic was good (a proper loose forward) and Tedesco excellent and man of the match. 

Overall a very enjoyable game and closer than the score line suggested. Michael Jennings was a liability though and really let Tonga down. He bombed 2 golden try opportunities, Hurrell really should’ve started ahead of him. If Jennings carries that on, he’ll be playing all of 2019 in the NSW Cup. Lolohea was very good but Tonga really suffered from the lack of Half back options when Hingano got crocked 

[Dunbar]

6 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

Back to the game, and I thought the rustiness of Tonga showed early on. It’s a real shame they couldn’t have played one of the other Pacific islands the week beforehand. They grew into the game and dominated a lot of the second half. Taukieaho was immense, Taumololo was good and Pangai Jr must be the best 2nd rower in the game right now. For Australia, Cordner stood up well, Jake Trbyovic was good (a proper loose forward) and Tedesco excellent and man of the match. 

Overall a very enjoyable game and closer than the score line suggested. Michael Jennings was a liability though and really let Tonga down. He bombed 2 golden try opportunities, Hurrell really should’ve started ahead of him. If Jennings carries that on, he’ll be playing all of 2019 in the NSW Cup 

There's something about Jake Trbyovic that I really like.  When you see him getting ready to come on the field he looks so unathletic and yet on the pitch he is full of commitment and plays the game really hard... he's pretty skilful as well for a big guy.

Good call on Pangai Jr and Taukieaho, they were both very good.

For Australia, I thought Klemmer was outstanding.  He has become such a pack leader for the Kangaroos it is easy to forget he is only 24 still.

[Luckycreed]

21 minutes ago, Scubby said:

The CEO of the World Cup 2017 was appointed from within the NRL. He is now an NRL club CEO. Todd Greenberg CEO of the NRL was on the 2017 WC board.

It's like saying the RFL/SL aren't responsible for the 2021 WC when the CEO of this competition has just left the RFL to take up the appointment.

Well I can't comment on that because I don't know what the relationship between the RFL and Superleague is, and I also don't know what the relationship between the ARL and the NRL is .Although my guess is the ARL just rubber stamp what the NRL ask for.

I knew how the game down here was structured pre 1995.and through the Murdoch years but exactly how it works since Murdoch jumped ship I am not entirely sure.

In theory it was going to be run like the AFL with an independent commission running the sport from top to bottom but from the outside looking in it appears the NRL clubs have taken back control, of the sport, in other words the pre Murdoch set up has more or less returned

[Scubby]

Just now, Luckycreed said:

Well I can't comment on that because I don't know what the relationship between the RFL and Superleague is, and I also don't know what the relationship between the ARL and the NRL is .Although my guess is the ARL just rubber stamp what the NRL ask for.

I knew how the game down here was structured pre 1995.and through the Murdoch years but exactly how it works since Murdoch jumped ship I am not entirely sure.

In theory it was going to be run like the AFL with an independent commission running the sport from top to bottom but from the outside looking in it appears the NRL clubs have taken back control, of the sport, in other words the pre Murdoch set up has more or less returned

Happening on both sides of the world mate. Unfortunately, the RFL have just appointed a spineless CEO who will cave into SL clubs and down under what the NRL says goes. Wood has ushered himself into the RLIF - another complete waste of a leadership slot. We have a history of completely missing opportunities to grow internationally.

[Scubby]

Tonga badly needed a warm up game. Their game management in the first half hour was terrible. However, they dominated large parts of the second half and were growing into the match. The spine wins you games, Tedesco and DCE were great for the Aussies and Tonga fell short (Lolohea looked to have piled the pounds on since the end of the season).

[Allora]

Half time score was Oz 30-10

Full time score Oz 34-16

[Davo5]

13 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Tonga badly needed a warm up game. Their game management in the first half hour was terrible. However, they dominated large parts of the second half and were growing into the match. The spine wins you games, Tedesco and DCE were great for the Aussies and Tonga fell short (Lolohea looked to have piled the pounds on since the end of the season).

Yeah,the Tongan's looked rusty in that first half and looked underdone which resulted in a lot of lost ball in contact and poor defensive reads,the fact that they grew into the game is a little frustrating,I think a game last week would have resulted in a better first half performance,I also thought the loss of Higano didn't help their cause and left a lot on Loloheas shoulders.

Overall an enjoyable game played out in front of a fantastic crowd,but let's give this Tongan team an expanded playing schedule over the next few years,they really are a breath of fresh air for our game.

[Clogiron]

well, what was there to not enjoy about that? Made me truly wish I had been there to experience it. The Pacific Nations Inc PNG truly bring a unique atmosphere to games, and with the increasing amount of young Polynisiesans coming through the NRL system they are only going to get better in the future..It looks like it's going to become the real growth area of International RL, which is unfortunate because there such small nations, and also for us because they historically don't travel well and wouldn't create the same atmosphere over here.

Other random thoughts:To be take seriously there has to be neutral refs in International games.                                                If a team want's to take a quick penalty the ref should let them even if the offending team is still offside.                                 Hull FC want to check who the guy who's been masquerading as Sima Manu with them for the last 4 month's is.                   All those saying they looked unfit at the start, they looked fit enough at the end and must be one of the few times recently where the majority of the crowd was bigger than the players including the females.