Pacific Tournament: Australia, Samoa, NZ

[Damien]

19 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

They’re not being moved from the Mediterranean Cup to Pacific Bowl. They currently have no fixtures as there isn’t a Mediterranean cup anymore. It’s better them playing in the Pacific Bowl than not at all

And of course they are all based in Australia anyway.

[Mathius Hellwege]

16 hours ago, JM2010 said:

Wouldn’t add 2nd string teams to it. Maybe Solomon Islands and Vanuatu if it wasn’t Lebanon.

Until the NH gets its act together with international RL I’d put Lebanon in Pacific Bowl. I agree though, I’d rather see Lebanon in the MEA Championships and either a NH tournament or Mediterranean each year

When did Vanuatu and Solomon Island played their last test?

Of course they would be a superior solution if they would be credible opponents at least for Cook I.

[Mathius Hellwege]

16 hours ago, Damien said:

No we don't. That route just makes a mockery of international RL.

Three Nation tournaments when there are only four weeks of international rugby league allowed by the NRL make a mockery of it

And when Lebanon (or Itlay) plays in Australia

PMXIII and NZ A are as harmless as the English Knight beating France 

[Tommygilf]

Lebanon (and formerly Scotland and maybe Ireland) are an ideal team to be fully integrated into a NH tri/four nations.

More competitive than France and Wales  but still competitive with particularly France. An ideal for England when no tourists come here or we go down under. 

Its got the makings of a long term tournament to me where other European nations can be added to the levels below (as was once planned). 

[Damien]

 

 

[londonrlfan]

On 02/11/2023 at 07:11, Mathius Hellwege said:

When did Vanuatu and Solomon Island played their last test?

Of course they would be a superior solution if they would be credible opponents at least for Cook I.

The Solomon Islands is a strange one. Over 700k population, bigger than Tonga, Samoa and CI combined, not a big union nation and right next to PNG. We should targeting it over the next twenty years or so to make RL the number one sport. LOL just had a read of the rah rah in Solomon Islands wiki page. 

[londonrlfan]

On 02/11/2023 at 07:28, Tommygilf said:

Lebanon (and formerly Scotland and maybe Ireland) are an ideal team to be fully integrated into a NH tri/four nations.

More competitive than France and Wales  but still competitive with particularly France. An ideal for England when no tourists come here or we go down under. 

Its got the makings of a long term tournament to me where other European nations can be added to the levels below (as was once planned). 

Lebanon would good, and also opens the sport to a new audience.

[JM2010]

25 minutes ago, londonrlfan said:

The Solomon Islands is a strange one. Over 700k population, bigger than Tonga, Samoa and CI combined, not a big union nation and right next to PNG. We should targeting it over the next twenty years or so to make RL the number one sport. LOL just had a read of the rah rah in Solomon Islands wiki page. 

Yeah it would make sense to involve them. Do they have any communities in Australia or NZ?

[londonrlfan]

Just now, JM2010 said:

Yeah it would make sense to involve them. Do they have any communities in Australia or NZ?

Probably very little numbers or you'd see more heritage players. Mal Meninga is of Solomon Islands heritage apparently. The NRL should pay for development officers for the next ten years or so, and the likes of Meninga go over and do coaching sessions, play an NRL trial game etc. Similar to what's been happening in Fiji. There's real potential for RL there.

[Damien]

I never realised that Australian RL had a Harry Sunderland award too:

Rabbitohs skipper Cameron Murray is the winner of the Harry Sunderland Medal awarded to the Gallagher Kangaroos' best player for 2023.

...

The Harry Sunderland Medal has been awarded to the best Australian player in every international series since 1964, when it was won by rugby league Immortal John Raper.

Born in Queensland, Sunderland was renowned for his work as an administrator both in Australia and the UK, where the player judged best on ground in the Super League grand final is awarded the Harry Sunderland Trophy.

Murray joins a distinguished list of winners of the Sunderland Medal that includes Cameron Smith, Greg Inglis, Darren Lockyer, Johnathan Thurston, Ron Coote and Wally Lewis.

NRL 2023, Gallagher Kangaroos, Cameron Murray awarded Harry Sunderland Medal as Kangaroos' best player | NRL.com