Tue 18 Oct: RLWC: Tonga v Papua New Guinea KO 7.30pm

[GUBRATS]

Good game , unlucky Kumul's , and King Edwin got MOM

[SydneyRoosters]

Edwin is a top 10 Hooker in the world. 

[StandOffHalf]

2 hours ago, Damien said:

That's a joke. The video referee completely forgot about the shoulder charge.

Yes, at the very least a penalty for the shoulder. I felt there was sufficient evidence to overturn the No Try call though.

[Snowys Backside]

Great game and any expansive Team to be fair would put plenty of points on both teams.

Good signs for Leigh with Lam and Ipape prominent and now onto tomorrow. Lets hope it stays dry because the LSV will be a carpet to play on.

The game need to 'Bin' the referee call of try / no try and just leave it to the Video ref. It was a try, but Tonga really poor on the Edges.

Great World Cup so far.

[Josef K]

What i really enjoyed about tonight wasn’t just the first class RL, but also the atmosphere as well. The kids getting behind PNG & Tonga did so right until the end and was brilliant. It was also great to see the diversity of the crowd which was really heartwarming.
Another positive for me was there was no vile or abusive language and know one plastered”.
Like i said in my last post i was talking to a Salford fan and i saw a few of them, but i also saw “Wire, Leeds, Wakey fans, and loads of Leigh supporters. I am going the game next Monday and i hope it’s the same again. 
Another positive for myself was the 7.30pm KO, as i was home for 9.45pm. The match nearly kicked off on time which would’ve been a first for years & years at a RL game. 
I don’t know who the ref was but i thought he was excellent, there was hardly any stoppages and he let the game flow. 
The only small negative of the night was the scoreboard wasn’t working which meant most fans didn’t know how long was left or even the score. That was my only gripe. 

[Madrileño]

Great game of League.

Where on earth did they get that video ref from? Completely out of his depth. 

These teams really deserved a bigger crowd. 

Most enjoyable game of the tournament so far. 

[WN83]

21 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Good game , unlucky Kumul's , and King Edwin got MOM

Expect him to take Superleague by storm next season. He’s so dangerous getting out from Dummy half. I said at the game tonight I think I’ll put a few quid on him to make the dream team. 

[Davo5]

2 minutes ago, Madrileño said:

Great game of League.

Where on earth did they get that video ref from? Completely out of his depth. 

These trams really deserved a bigger crowd. 

Most enjoyable game of the tournament so far. 

Trams in St Helens ?

[Madrileño]

8 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

Trams in St Helens ?

Oops

[Guest]

Well worth the trip.

Ship hot game. Good atmosphere too from the Tonga and PNG fans.

No problem to buy a cheap ticket and sit in a pricey seats.

Clearly some prefer putting 60 on Leigh for £20.

 

[SydneyRoosters]

Massive game from Tolu Koula this morning.

240 Metres

1 Linebreak

1 Try Assist

152 Kick Return Metres, Which is the highest of the World Cup so far, next closest was Suaalii with only 98 Metres so really impressive.

If it wasn’t for that late error he would’ve been up there for MOTM.

[Young Blood]

If England are a off I can see PNG beating them in a QF although unlikely this performance at least showed me England aren't certainties to win. 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Young Blood said:

If England are a off I can see PNG beating them in a QF although unlikely this performance at least showed me England aren't certainties to win. 

Should help sell out DW

[StandOffHalf]

Wonderful game tonight. I loved the colour and energy.

I felt the No Try could/should have been overturned, but it was a VERY close call. I wouldn't overly bag the VR, although I do think he erred on the side of the ref and came up with the wrong call. I thought live that the ball touched the post, but I think it was his wrist that contacted, with the belly of the ball then being grounded. I would have given the try.

Koula and Koloamatagi really impressive for Tonga; Laybutt and Ipape were two of the Kumuls' best. I think my MOTM would have been Koloamatagi. I felt he offered solidity and durability.

I wonder whether anyone else thought there might have been a suggestion of a knock-on when Tonga passed back for the DG, which was then aborted with the ball passed out to the right and ending with the winning try? Was there a popped offload that went to ground, or am I misremembering? I would have liked Moore to send that whole movement upstairs to be signed off on - but we'd have been there all night.

For neutrals, that last try was strange. Deflating and yet I had a goofy smile on my face as the movement unfolded. Sometimes RL just throws up the strangest emotions.

I love both teams and want them to go as deep as possible, but I was hoping for the Kumuls to complete a rousing comeback. Tonga's try was fantastic but it kind of popped that balloon.

Awesome 80 minutes! I felt the game flowed well with Moore as ref. The 'No Try' is the only moment where I really thought the refs stuffed up.

Onwards and upwards for both teams!

Get Vossy and Graham back as a team. Energy and humour in bucketloads.

 

[UTK]

1 hour ago, Davo5 said:

Yeah,of course Holbrook,Woolf & Slater are at fault for not getting the best or not selecting Fifita

Fifita was fine tonight I have no problems with the way Woolf is going to use him, Holbrook is out of his depth at the Titans and Fifita is a good example of that. 

Fifita was injured when the first Origin squad was selected and they won the first match so no surprises he wasn't brought in by Slater, he was selected in the Kangaroos wider squad by Mal but has opted to go for Tonga.

This Fifita is lazy myth is perpetrated by people who attack the bloke on account of his paycheque and has absolutely no basis in reality, he outworks many of the other "elite" backrowers in the competition. He's got some rough edges to his game that need refining but he's played his entire career outside rubbish halves and in terrible teams yet he still manages to break long-standing records for his position.

[StandOffHalf]

I think Fifita is the sort of weapon you chuck on for 15-minute spells at the back-end of a first half or at the 60-minute mark and hope to cause carnage. I don't see him as a long-minutes type player.

[SydneyRoosters]

37 minutes ago, Young Blood said:

If England are a off I can see PNG beating them in a QF although unlikely this performance at least showed me England aren't certainties to win. 

I know you hate England, but come on mate. Not saying PNG aren’t a threat but there not going to beat England at home I think every nows that.

[Londonbornirishbred]

Best game so far! I absolutely feel for PNG who I think were on the wrong side of a couple of dodgy calls, but as an advert for the game it was fantastic.
Wouldn't be league without questionable Referee's and fans whining about the crowd, but all in all, anyone tuning into that would be hard pressed to find a reason not to return!
 

 

[Young Blood]

1 hour ago, SydneyRoosters said:

I know you hate England, but come on mate. Not saying PNG aren’t a threat but there not going to beat England at home I think every nows that.

Just saying England V PNG will al least be interesting and png can win although unlikely 

[SydneyRoosters]

59 minutes ago, Young Blood said:

Just saying England V PNG will al least be interesting and png can win although unlikely 

I love PNG but the chance of that happening at home is similar to the Cook Islands chances of beating Australia.

[dealwithit]

I’m ok with VR not over ruling no try, but the blatant shoulder charge should have been picked up.

Similarly, when Ipape burrowed over earlier in the first half the Tonga fullback dislodged the ball by striking with his boots. 
 

End of the day, PNG dropped off in defence when it mattered most. 

[StandOffHalf]

24 minutes ago, SydneyRoosters said:

I love PNG but the chance of that happening at home is similar to the Cook Islands chances of beating Australia.

PNG are stronger than the Kukis; Australia are better than England.

[SydneyRoosters]

41 minutes ago, StandOffHalf said:

PNG are stronger than the Kukis; Australia are better than England.

Yeah I agree, but England at home in a Wigan quarter final. Sorry but the Kumuls just couldn’t win, it would be all but impossible

[Just Browny]

6 hours ago, Davo5 said:

Trams in St Helens ?

Imagine the crowd a tram in Leigh would attract.

[Tosh]

2 hours ago, SydneyRoosters said:

I love PNG but the chance of that happening at home is similar to the Cook Islands chances of beating Australia.

Not really.

PNG are way better then the Cook Islands and Australia are far better than England.

If PNG can put some real wingers on their wings then it’s a whole new ball game. I’m not say that the kumuls will beat England but it’ll be far closer than some are thinking.