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Post by Marv on May 14, 2009 17:25:54 GMT 10
It all depends on the players availible to these nations, you can bet your bottom dollar that the squads for these games will be vastly different from the WC squads.
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Post by England 3 Lions on May 14, 2009 18:14:36 GMT 10
Yes, that is the goal. PNG has a Union team, that's bad enough, and Aussie Rules, pfft, the name of the game is Aussie Rules. So AFL I don't really mind about, however in PNG it is an issue, and I'd say Union is only a minor issue, because PNG is hardly of the calibre of higher tier nations so it'll never get a higher profile if they only play Uzbekistan and other lower ranked nations. But in league every year PNG plays the PM's XIII, combine that with the Pacific Cup and bye bye Union. I'm excited for this competition. Surprisingly enough, Australian rules football used to be the most popular sport in PNG. Rugby league became the country's most popular sport during the 70's or 80's. Rugby union is a minority sport in PNG. |
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Post by England 3 Lions on May 14, 2009 18:17:02 GMT 10
Mmm, well Fiji and PNG for sure will be there, I think Samoa and Tonga and even the Cooks have the potential, but they just won't be as good as the Papua New Guineans and Fijians yet (well, based on the World Cup). Look it really is hard to know... in terms of local talent all the teams are right up there, but I think PNG have it over everyone else in terms of ESL and NRL players.... but who knows. At least the 4N will have various flavours to it which is good. PNG and Fiji should be the big two at every tournament as they're much larger than Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands. I can see PNG becoming the best team in the world within the next 20 to 30 years. It all depends on when the country's infrastructure is sorted out. |
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Post by Ryan N on May 15, 2009 9:36:25 GMT 10
Yes, that is the goal. PNG has a Union team, that's bad enough, and Aussie Rules, pfft, the name of the game is Aussie Rules. So AFL I don't really mind about, however in PNG it is an issue, and I'd say Union is only a minor issue, because PNG is hardly of the calibre of higher tier nations so it'll never get a higher profile if they only play Uzbekistan and other lower ranked nations. But in league every year PNG plays the PM's XIII, combine that with the Pacific Cup and bye bye Union. I'm excited for this competition. Surprisingly enough, Australian rules football used to be the most popular sport in PNG. Rugby league became the country's most popular sport during the 70's or 80's. Rugby union is a minority sport in PNG. PNG also used to be an Australian territory. But mm, AFL has some sort of chance of making impact, however, the problem is the distance between Victoria and PNG. I wouldn't even worry, I think Rugby League has a pretty strong grip on the country. Yes, and there's the problem, the infrastructure will never be worked out, and it'll always be a poor nation, which might even be part of the appeal of League to the people. It's their chance to get away and make money and do their family proud. |
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Post by Druzik on May 15, 2009 17:26:23 GMT 10
Rugby union is a minority sport in PNG. .... and in Australia.  |
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Post by Druzik on May 15, 2009 17:31:23 GMT 10
Yeah Ryan, I think you have pretty much hit the nail on the head, League is the working class sport... in PNG this is what it will be and its appeal, and in PNG the semi pro players still earn a decent living.
If you can get a bit more of a trickle of them into the NRL and ESL then it would really help boost them, get them playing more regular test against the other PI nations as well as NZ and Aus and you will get an extremly strong nation in league.... am not sure about being the best, but more regular series wins and semi final or even finals appearences in WC's.
Again this is where my call for the PN cup to have NZ and Aus in it is so important, These nations get to have a regular shot at the best of the best, it will carry better appeal to those players that sit on the fence between the PIs and NZ/Aus knwoing that if they arent going to be regularly selected for them they can have regular test spots int hose nations play their guts out against Aus and NZ and prove themselves.
Imagine if Samoa roll Aus in a Semi one day and PNG roll NZ... that would be an awesome final.... it would sent shock waves through the RL world.
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Post by sportsmad on Jun 7, 2009 12:02:56 GMT 10
to be honost i wasnt sure the profile of union to league in the cook islands, wether ones bigger than the other but this article was a good read. very pleasing to see. www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,25597061-5006066,00.html |
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Post by sportsmad on Jun 29, 2009 17:54:42 GMT 10
BARLA almost caused an upset recently when losing narrowly to Fiji in front of 3000 fans in Suva. Was reading there was a union game on the other side of the island so league and union went head to head.
any news on the pacific tri nations game between fiji and PNG?
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Post by Druzik on Jun 29, 2009 18:29:30 GMT 10
BARLA almost caused an upset recently when losing narrowly to Fiji in front of 3000 fans in Suva. Was reading there was a union game on the other side of the island so league and union went head to head. any news on the pacific tri nations game between fiji and PNG? Not yet, it was yesterday I think.... League is really taking off in the islands now. |
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Post by Marv on Jun 29, 2009 19:22:18 GMT 10
I wouldnt have seen it as an upset in any way if barla had won, they are the top amateur rep side from the England, the Fiji side will be mainly locals and Part timers, there anrent too many names I recognise in the Fiji side.
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Post by sportsmad on Jul 10, 2009 16:46:03 GMT 10
a great read:
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Post by arh21980 on Jul 11, 2009 21:12:14 GMT 10
I know that they are having the Pacific Nations to establish which side goes into the 4 Nations next year. When are they having the European version beause at the moment I can see one of three sides winning it France, Ireland and Wales. Wales I believe are going to be a major player in the future
P.S Sorry to go a little off subject there
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Post by Druzik on Jul 11, 2009 23:32:07 GMT 10
I know that they are having the Pacific Nations to establish which side goes into the 4 Nations next year. When are they having the European version beause at the moment I can see one of three sides winning it France, Ireland and Wales. Wales I believe are going to be a major player in the future P.S Sorry to go a little off subject there OK.... so! This year there is a European nations tournament for Irelnad, Scotland, Wales, Russia, Serbia and Lebanon. As you say the winner of this years Pac nations goes into the 4 Nations next year. NEXT YEAR the winner of the 2010 European nations will go into the 2011 4 Nations tournament. The structure of next years tournament as I have been told so far will be: European Nations Cup: France, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and the 4 and 5 of this years Euro Nations cup. European Nations Shield: 6th place from 2009, Italy, Germany, Czechs, and top 2 from the 2009 euro bowl. European Nations Bowl: 3rd place of 2009 euro bowl, Morocco, Catalonia, Belgium, Norway, UAE. European Nations Med: some other up coming nations, probably Malta, Portugal, Greece. It will be effectively a promotion relegation type thing. Idealy I would like to see the 4N expand to a 5 or 6 antions in the end so that at least the winners of the european and Pacific nations can get promoted up or down. |
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Post by sportsmad on Jul 12, 2009 10:21:35 GMT 10
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Post by arh21980 on Jul 12, 2009 12:13:17 GMT 10
Dymock also called for the Pacific Nations Cup games to be played as curtain-raisers to State of Origin, with the best players selected to form a Super Island team which could make up a Five Nations tournament.
If the Origin gets played on a stand alone weekend then this should definitley happen. Can you imagine a full Rep weekend
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