England v Tonga series

[Man of Kent]

‘Confirmed’.

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/england-line-up-tonga-test-26797145

Progress for the international game. Decent, realistic venues. 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

Beat me to it! Was just about to post this myself!

Quite agree, good venues, should get really good crowds at all 3 and have some full stadiums on TV. Great to be playing someone different in a series to have a bit of variety and hopefully get people a little more intrigued than they maybe would playing the usual opponents. 

Yep, really looking forward to it, will probably travel across to Huddersfield for that game!

Edited April 27 by The Hallucinating Goose

[Mr Frisky]

Great stuff.

Far better than playing NZ again - well done. Hope Tonga can maybe have a hit out against France before playing England as well but as ever its all about money and if France would pay for them.

[Josef K]

8 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

‘Confirmed’.

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/england-line-up-tonga-test-26797145

Progress for the international game. Decent, realistic venues. 

Fantastic news. 

[Odsal Outlaw]

Good news and great to see Tonga continue to get more exposure. Shame there isn’t the ambition to go for one big venue to launch the series, that followed by Leeds and Saints would have been good.

[Man of Kent]

A three-game home series against Tonga would have seemed silly a few years ago but it’s now 4th vs 5th in the world. This is a big step forward. 

I’m guessing this will be played once the 15-man warm-up comp has finished? 

[Mojo]

This is awesome for England. And I also get why Tonga chose to to tour England. More beneficial for them and won't be surprised if every game is sold out

[Archie Gordon]

Enjoy your series, lads.

[Mojo]

If this was 10 years ago they would've called this tour a joke but investing in a small nation and giving them regular games to develop has finally paid off. England and France need to do the same every year so France can join the likes of Samoa, Tonga and Fiji. Clubs holding players back doesn't help, and players agreeing to it is a joke. Tonga rejecting the NRL supposedly 4 nations tournament at the end of the year is a big middle finger to the aussies and I love it

[Adelaide Tiger]

Wow, nine posts in and no negative comment.  Is this a record?

Can’t wait to watch this series and I will also watch whatever tournament the SH teams play in.

[Click]

12 minutes ago, Adelaide Tiger said:

Wow, nine posts in and no negative comment.  Is this a record?

Can’t wait to watch this series and I will also watch whatever tournament the SH teams play in.

I don't want to be the first ... 

It is probably more selfish of me, but I would have liked to have had a game in London. We have just had a WC almost exclusively in the North and England games tend to sell pretty well down here.

Other than that, I am very much looking forward to watching it on TV instead I guess!

[ghost crayfish]

Great news this series is going ahead - hopefully an Ashes series (or 4N involving Aus and NZ) can be announced for 2024 soon. That sense of narrative is really important for sport. A big selling point for this series should be that it's part of preparations for an Ashes series (or other comparable major series against Australia) and a World Cup to follow. 

[Toby Chopra]

Well, I didn't think they'd get this done in the face of a SH tournament, so all credit to them. If all the Tongans turn up it should be a cracking series. And I hope all three games on FTA on Saturday afternoons for maximum impact.

My only gripe - given they've gone for two sub-20k capacity stadiums, could they really not do one in London? Brentford or Millwall would have been perfect at this size and given something for southern fans. 

Still, it'll be a weekend jolly to Leeds for me then, which will be fun!

 

[Toby Chopra]

21 minutes ago, ghost crayfish said:

Great news this series is going ahead - hopefully an Ashes series (or 4N involving Aus and NZ) can be announced for 2024 soon. That sense of narrative is really important for sport. A big selling point for this series should be that it's part of preparations for an Ashes series (or other comparable major series against Australia) and a World Cup to follow. 

Spot on. This is a great start, so let's lock in 2024 and then we've got a great 3-year program to promote. Kiwis fine for me next year if the Aussies don't want to travel.

[ghost crayfish]

4 minutes ago, Toby Chopra said:

Spot on. This is a great start, so let's lock in 2024 and then we've got a great 3-year program to promote. Kiwis fine for me next year if the Aussies don't want to travel.

If it isn't Australia, I'm gonna throw a massive social media hissy fit at the NRL. 

[gingerjon]

7 hours ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

good venues, should get really good crowds

Basically the same as playing France at Warrington, no?

[Davo5]

Great news that Tonga are coming for what should be a crackinga 3 Test series but surely we have to be more ambitious than taking 2 of the 3 games to  sub 20k stadiums.

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

Great news this is confirmed, looking forward to it. For the benefit of @Harry Stottle can I just say that I hope to God someone involves IMG in the marketing though

The only negative I can see is the Huddersfield venue. There’s hardly any audience there, as evidenced by the Giants and previous international gates. Ideally we’d have had one London game, and if not then surely Saints-Leeds-Hull offered a better geographic spread and there’s over 20k regular league attendees in Hull. I thought now Rimmer was gone the old pals act that got Huddersfield matches would have ended, but guess Ken is still influential…! 

[The Masked Poster]

There are certain things you could nit pick about but they are essentially for another thread. 

The fact is that we have an international series to support, planned fairly well in advance, against credible opposition, within close proximity to many, if not most RL fans.

So credit where it's due, fingers have been pulled out and something organised, good to see. 

On the other hand, it's thrown me as I was expecting an announcement in September.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

27 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Basically the same as playing France at Warrington, no?

Not really considering Warrington is a little smaller than these venues and mid season tests v France tend to be half empty. I'd expect all these Tonga games to be sold out which will look great on tv. 

If I had one criticism it would be that Leeds and Huddersfield are very close together but it is a series put together at short notice so could have been the only available grounds and we always get good crowds at them anyway so really shouldn't be a problem. I'd expect all 3 to be sold out or very close to sell outs and seen as the record attendance against Tonga in this country is 3,000 currently then that will be great! 

Edited April 28 by The Hallucinating Goose

[The Masked Poster]

7 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

Great news that Tonga are coming for what should be a crackinga 3 Test series but surely we have to be more ambitious than taking 2 of the 3 games to  sub 20k stadiums.

I hear you there mate but I think it's more important to fill those stadiums and pick the bones out of it later. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

Good stuff!

Saw them play PNG at the World Cup at St Helens in what was a cracking game.

Hopefully the Tongan fans can be at these games too to add to the international vibe.

A quality opponent and test for England.

[JM2010]

25 minutes ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Great news this is confirmed, looking forward to it. For the benefit of @Harry Stottle can I just say that I hope to God someone involves IMG in the marketing though

The only negative I can see is the Huddersfield venue. There’s hardly any audience there, as evidenced by the Giants and previous international gates. Ideally we’d have had one London game, and if not then surely Saints-Leeds-Hull offered a better geographic spread and there’s over 20k regular league attendees in Hull. I thought now Rimmer was gone the old pals act that got Huddersfield matches would have ended, but guess Ken is still influential…! 

I think the Huddersfield game will sell out. I’ll definitely be going 

[Davo5]

24 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

I hear you there mate but I think it's more important to fill those stadiums and pick the bones out of it later. 

Sorry but 2 x 18k capacity stadiums 1 of which has a 3k open terrace isn’t great even if they are full.

[Archie Gordon]

5 hours ago, Adelaide Tiger said:

Wow, nine posts in and no negative comment.  Is this a record?

Can’t wait to watch this series and I will also watch whatever tournament the SH teams play in.

Sorry - my earlier comment was meant to be a negative but I can see why it didn't get picked up.

I'm increasingly made to feel overlooked by England RL. It does seem to me that this is another Northern Union test series, following a Northern Union v France game, following a RLWC held in the North. 

But, leaving my hurt feelings aside, I don't think this geographic retrenchment is a great look for the sport more generally.