2023 Pacific Championships

[Tiger_Fanatic3]

Glad Api isn't playing - get him into pre season on day 1

Still sore from the sideline penalty. What a kick !

 

[innsaneink]

I've heard Mr Whippy needs to harden up.

Where are these guys playing usually, surely there's a gem amongst them

 

[diedpretty]

A shame Tonga is touring England instead of being part of this tournament. Check out their forward pack and that doesn't include Taumalolo who is ruled out.

 

[KingRobbie]

I've heard Mr Whippy needs to harden up.

Where are these guys playing usually, surely there's a gem amongst them

Had a quick look…

From the non-NRL playing bunch:
Kitione Kautoga - Reserve Grade for Canterbury
Sirilo Lovokuro - U/21’s for Sydney Roosters
Noah Nailagoliva - Reserve Grade for Newcastle
Caleb Navale - U/21’s for Manly
Jason Qareqare - Super League for Castleford
Mesake Ravonu - U/21’s for Canterbury
Penioni Tagituimua - Third Grade for Canterbury
King Vuniyayawa - Super League for Salford
Watisoni Waqanisaravi - U/21’s for Sydney Roosters
Gordon Whippy - QLD Cup for Ipswich

 

[KingRobbie]

Pacific Championships - Week 1

Australia vs. Samoa

Saturday, October 14 - 8:10 p.m. AEST
Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville

AUSTRALIA
1. James Tedesco (c)
2. Dylan Edwards
3. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
4. Kotoni Staggs
5. Selwyn Cobbo
6. Cameron Munster
7. Daly Cherry-Evans
8. Payne Haas
9. Ben Hunt
10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui
11. Cameron Murray
12. Liam Martin
13. Isaah Yeo

14. Harry Grant
15. Lindsay Collins
16. Patrick Carrigan
17. Reuben Cotter

18. Nicho Hynes
19. Jake Trbojevic
20. Thomas Flegler
21. Valentine Holmes
Coach: Mal Meninga


SAMOA
1. Sualauvi Faalogo
2. Murray Taulagi
3. Izack Tago
4. Young Tonumaipea
5. Brian To'o
6. Stephen Crichton
7. Daejarn Asi
8. Stefano Utoikamanu
9. Gordon Chan Kum Tong
10. Junior Paulo (c)
11. Luciano Leilua
12. Connelly Lemuelu
13. Keenan Palasia

14. Spencer Leniu
15. Terrell May
16. Heilum Luki
17. Ronald Volkman

18. Royce Hunt
19. Justin Matamua
20. Greg Marzhew
21. Tommy Talau
Coach: Ben Gardiner

 

[KingRobbie]

Pacific Championships - Week 1

Papua New Guinea vs. Cook Islands

Sunday, October 15 - 4:00 p.m. AEST
Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby

PAPUA NEW GUINEA
1. Alex Johnston
2. Robert Derby
3. Zac Laybutt
4. Rodrick Tai
5. Nene Macdonald
6. Kyle Laybutt
7. Lachlan Lam
8. Epel Kapinias
9. Judah Rimbu
10. Valentine Richard
11. Jacob Alick
12. Daniel Russell
13. Jack de Belin

14. Liam Horne
15. Nixon Putt
16. Junior Rop
17. Benji Kot

18. Cruise Ten
19. Rhyse Martin (c)
20. Wellington Albert
21. Justin Olam
Coach: Justin Holbrook


COOK ISLANDS
1. Esom Ioka
2. Malachi Morgan
3. Kayal Iro
4. Esan Marsters (c)
5. Steven Marsters
6. Brad Takairangi (c)
7. Tevin Arona
8. Davvy Moale
9. Rua Ngatikaura
10. Makahesi Makatoa
11. Zane Tetevano
12. Reuben Porter
13. Pride Petterson-Robati

14. William Samuel
15. Rhys Dakin
16. Justin Makirere
17. Kadiyae Ioka

18. Takai Mokohar
19. Isaiah Cooper-Tetevano
20. Alvin Maungatti
21. Lucky Pokipoki
Coach: Karmichael Hunt

 

[Tucker]

View attachment 7099

If he digs in, he may make that super excellent Sri Lankan squad.

 

[Tucker]

Pacific Championships - Week 1

Australia vs. Samoa

Saturday, October 14 - 8:10 p.m. AEST
Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville

AUSTRALIA
1. James Tedesco (c)
2. Dylan Edwards
3. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
4. Kotoni Staggs
5. Selwyn Cobbo
6. Cameron Munster
7. Daly Cherry-Evans
8. Payne Haas
9. Ben Hunt
10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui
11. Cameron Murray
12. Liam Martin
13. Isaah Yeo

14. Harry Grant
15. Lindsay Collins
16. Patrick Carrigan
17. Reuben Cotter

18. Nicho Hynes
19. Jake Trbojevic
20. Thomas Flegler
21. Valentine Holmes
Coach: Mal Meninga


SAMOA
1. Sualauvi Faalogo
2. Murray Taulagi
3. Izack Tago
4. Young Tonumaipea
5. Brian To'o
6. Stephen Crichton
7. Daejarn Asi
8. Stefano Utoikamanu
9. Gordon Chan Kum Tong
10. Junior Paulo (c)
11. Luciano Leilua
12. Connelly Lemuelu
13. Keenan Palasia

14. Spencer Leniu
15. Terrell May
16. Heilum Luki
17. Ronald Volkman

18. Royce Hunt
19. Justin Matamua
20. Greg Marzhew
21. Tommy Talau
Coach: Ben Gardiner

Hahaha…Dylan Edwards didn’t even make the original squad, now he is considered in the top 13.
Congrats to him, he deserves it.

 

[Halbrowne61]

Was somewhat surprised to see Asu Kepaoa selected in the Junior Kiwi side.
Let’s hope that it helps his game to improve substantially in 2024 coz he was very disappointing for mine this season.

 

[tiger_one]

Pacific Championships 2023, men and women, all you need to know, schedule, TV guide, how it works, stars to watch | Storm

Everything you need to know about the 2023 Pacific Championships – how the tournament works, when the games are on and which stars to watch out for!

www.melbournestorm.com.au

Everything you need to know about the 2023 Pacific Championships​

The inaugural Pacific Championships will be staged across four weeks in three different countries in a smorgasbord of international rugby league to cap off the 2023 rugby league season.


World Cup champions Australia along with New Zealand, Toa Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea will feature in the men's tournament – which kicks off in Townsville on Saturday – while the women's tournament features Australia alongside the Kiwi Ferns, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Papua New Guinea and Cook Islands.

What is the Pacific Championships?​

The Pacific Championships is a long-term strategy for the ARLC with the aim of promoting the international elite game in a dedicated window, growing equity in the exciting period post Grand Final, building more cultural competency within our game and fans and encouraging players to play for their respective nations.


2023 is the first year that the Pacific Championships will take place with seven competing nations across two pools in both men’s and women’s matches.

• Men’s Pacific Cup – Australia, New Zealand, Samoa
• Men’s Pacific Bowl – Cook Islands, Fiji, PNG
• Women’s Pacific Cup – Australia, New Zealand, Tonga
• Women’s Pacific Bowl – Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, PNG

How does the competition work?​

The men's Pacific Cup sees the three highest nations compete against each other with the men's Pacific Bowl a competition between the three lower nations.


Within the men’s Cup and Bowl competitions, each team plays each other once, with the top two ranked teams making it through to the respective Final.


Year on year, the make-up of the make-up of the Pacific Cup and Bowl will change depending on world rankings – giving an opportunity for those teams in the Pacific Bowl to enter the Pacific Cup and entice the higher ranked teams to hold their spots.

The women's Pacific Cup competition works as the Jillaroos and Kiwi Ferns play each other four times over the next two years (twice each year) with the third match being alternate with a Pacific nation. In 2023, that fixture is the Kiwi Ferns v Tonga.

The women's Pacific Bowl competition includes two Test matches in 2023 with the aim to increase competitive of women's fixtures through increased opportunities.

When is each team playing?​

Saturday, October 14 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville​

• Australia v New Zealand (women) at 6.00pm AEDT
• Australia v Toa Samoa (men) at 8.10pm AEDT

Sunday, October 15 at Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby​

• Samoa v Fiji (women) at 1.45pm AEDT
• PNG v Cook Islands (men) at 4.00pm AEDT

Saturday, October 21 at Eden Park, Auckland​

• New Zealand v Tonga (women) at 1.45pm AEDT
• New Zealand v Toa Samoa (men) at 4.00pm AEDT

Sunday, October 22 at Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby​

• PNG v Cook Islands (women) at 1.45pm AEDT
• Fiji v Cook Islands (men) at 4.00pm AEDT

Saturday, October 28 at AAMI Park, Melbourne​

• Australia v New Zealand (women) at 6.00pm AEDT
• Australia v New Zealand (men) at 8.00pm AEDT

Sunday, October 29 at Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby​

• PNG v Fiji (men) at 4.00pm AEDT

Are there finals?​

The Men's Pacific Cup final will be played at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton on Saturday, November 4 with Australia, New Zealand and Samoa in contention. The Men's Pacific Bowl final will be played at Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby on Sunday, November 5 between either PNG, Cook Islands or Fiji.


There is no final for the women's Pacific Cup or Pacific Bowl competitions.

What's different about this competition?​

The matches will all be sanctioned by the International Rugby League – this means that they contribute to the nation’s world rankings and will impact whether teams qualify for the RLWC 2026.


All matches will be played according to the NRL and NRLW laws and interpretations of the game. This means that the women’s matches for the Pacific Championships will be played at 35 minutes per half, which supports the heat conditions that people will be playing in, in order to prioritise player welfare. It allows those players who have played all year to have continuity in playing conditions that they have experienced in the NRLW or women's State of Origin.

Who are the players to watch?​

The Kangaroos side captained by James Tedesco features nine members of the side that downed Samoa in last year's World Cup Final in England. Tedesco is playing in his 11th Test match and chief playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans his 19th, while Dylan Edwards, Kotoni Staggs, Selwyn Cobbo and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow make their Kangaroos debuts in the opener against Samoa.
Big game specialist Stephen Crichton shifts to five-eighth for Samoa and will partner Test debutant Daejarn Asi in the halves. Crichton's fellow Panthers Brian To'o and Spencer Leniu are also on show while Junior Paulo will lead the way up front alongside newcomers Stefano Utoikamanu and Gordon Chan Kum Tong.

For the Jillaroos, Knights superstar Tamika Upton makes her Test debut at fullback as part of a star-studded backline that includes World Cup winners Jess Sergis, Isabelle Kelly, Julia Robinson, Tarryn Aiken and Ali Brigginshaw.

Georgia Hale, Apii Nicholls and Mya Hill-Moana will look to lead the way for the Kiwi Ferns with Raecene McGregor steering the ship from halfback. Broncos powerhouse Mele Hufanga is joined in the centres by Knights star Shanice Parker while Cronulla's rookie sensation Annessa Biddle makes her Test debut on the wing and Ashleigh Quinlan gets her first cap at five-eighth.

Try-scoring machine Alex Johnston and Lachlan Lam lead the way for the Kumuls while the Fijian squad includes attacking weapons in Maika Sivo and Mikaele Ravalawa along with impressive rookies Jahream Bula and Sunia Turuva.

All matches will be televised on the Nine Network and Fox Sports and can be streamed on Kayo and 9Now.

 

[tiger_one]

Junior Tupou has travelled to the UK and has officially been added to the Tonga squad for their Test series against England.

 

[Tucker]

Junior Tupou has travelled to the UK and has officially been added to the Tonga squad for their Test series against England.

Wow.
That is not deserved, but good for him.
Hope he learns a lot.

 

[KingRobbie]

Wow.
That is not deserved, but good for him.
Hope he learns a lot.

Latu Fainu made the squad too, hasn't played NRL yet.

Tonga did the same thing with Isaiya Katoa last year.

 

[Demps]

And so it begins......

With the women,
Australia vs NZ

 

[innsaneink]

Some big hits in this game... Good defense but both teams not having much attack thrown at them

 

[Halbrowne61]

Pacific Championships 2023, men and women, all you need to know, schedule, TV guide, how it works, stars to watch | Storm

Everything you need to know about the 2023 Pacific Championships – how the tournament works, when the games are on and which stars to watch out for!

www.melbournestorm.com.au

Everything you need to know about the 2023 Pacific Championships​

The inaugural Pacific Championships will be staged across four weeks in three different countries in a smorgasbord of international rugby league to cap off the 2023 rugby league season.


World Cup champions Australia along with New Zealand, Toa Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea will feature in the men's tournament – which kicks off in Townsville on Saturday – while the women's tournament features Australia alongside the Kiwi Ferns, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Papua New Guinea and Cook Islands.

What is the Pacific Championships?​

The Pacific Championships is a long-term strategy for the ARLC with the aim of promoting the international elite game in a dedicated window, growing equity in the exciting period post Grand Final, building more cultural competency within our game and fans and encouraging players to play for their respective nations.


2023 is the first year that the Pacific Championships will take place with seven competing nations across two pools in both men’s and women’s matches.

• Men’s Pacific Cup – Australia, New Zealand, Samoa
• Men’s Pacific Bowl – Cook Islands, Fiji, PNG
• Women’s Pacific Cup – Australia, New Zealand, Tonga
• Women’s Pacific Bowl – Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, PNG

How does the competition work?​

The men's Pacific Cup sees the three highest nations compete against each other with the men's Pacific Bowl a competition between the three lower nations.


Within the men’s Cup and Bowl competitions, each team plays each other once, with the top two ranked teams making it through to the respective Final.


Year on year, the make-up of the make-up of the Pacific Cup and Bowl will change depending on world rankings – giving an opportunity for those teams in the Pacific Bowl to enter the Pacific Cup and entice the higher ranked teams to hold their spots.

The women's Pacific Cup competition works as the Jillaroos and Kiwi Ferns play each other four times over the next two years (twice each year) with the third match being alternate with a Pacific nation. In 2023, that fixture is the Kiwi Ferns v Tonga.

The women's Pacific Bowl competition includes two Test matches in 2023 with the aim to increase competitive of women's fixtures through increased opportunities.

When is each team playing?​

Saturday, October 14 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville​

• Australia v New Zealand (women) at 6.00pm AEDT
• Australia v Toa Samoa (men) at 8.10pm AEDT

Sunday, October 15 at Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby​

• Samoa v Fiji (women) at 1.45pm AEDT
• PNG v Cook Islands (men) at 4.00pm AEDT

Saturday, October 21 at Eden Park, Auckland​

• New Zealand v Tonga (women) at 1.45pm AEDT
• New Zealand v Toa Samoa (men) at 4.00pm AEDT

Sunday, October 22 at Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby​

• PNG v Cook Islands (women) at 1.45pm AEDT
• Fiji v Cook Islands (men) at 4.00pm AEDT

Saturday, October 28 at AAMI Park, Melbourne​

• Australia v New Zealand (women) at 6.00pm AEDT
• Australia v New Zealand (men) at 8.00pm AEDT

Sunday, October 29 at Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby​

• PNG v Fiji (men) at 4.00pm AEDT

Are there finals?​

The Men's Pacific Cup final will be played at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton on Saturday, November 4 with Australia, New Zealand and Samoa in contention. The Men's Pacific Bowl final will be played at Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby on Sunday, November 5 between either PNG, Cook Islands or Fiji.


There is no final for the women's Pacific Cup or Pacific Bowl competitions.

What's different about this competition?​

The matches will all be sanctioned by the International Rugby League – this means that they contribute to the nation’s world rankings and will impact whether teams qualify for the RLWC 2026.


All matches will be played according to the NRL and NRLW laws and interpretations of the game. This means that the women’s matches for the Pacific Championships will be played at 35 minutes per half, which supports the heat conditions that people will be playing in, in order to prioritise player welfare. It allows those players who have played all year to have continuity in playing conditions that they have experienced in the NRLW or women's State of Origin.

Who are the players to watch?​

The Kangaroos side captained by James Tedesco features nine members of the side that downed Samoa in last year's World Cup Final in England. Tedesco is playing in his 11th Test match and chief playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans his 19th, while Dylan Edwards, Kotoni Staggs, Selwyn Cobbo and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow make their Kangaroos debuts in the opener against Samoa.
Big game specialist Stephen Crichton shifts to five-eighth for Samoa and will partner Test debutant Daejarn Asi in the halves. Crichton's fellow Panthers Brian To'o and Spencer Leniu are also on show while Junior Paulo will lead the way up front alongside newcomers Stefano Utoikamanu and Gordon Chan Kum Tong.

For the Jillaroos, Knights superstar Tamika Upton makes her Test debut at fullback as part of a star-studded backline that includes World Cup winners Jess Sergis, Isabelle Kelly, Julia Robinson, Tarryn Aiken and Ali Brigginshaw.

Georgia Hale, Apii Nicholls and Mya Hill-Moana will look to lead the way for the Kiwi Ferns with Raecene McGregor steering the ship from halfback. Broncos powerhouse Mele Hufanga is joined in the centres by Knights star Shanice Parker while Cronulla's rookie sensation Annessa Biddle makes her Test debut on the wing and Ashleigh Quinlan gets her first cap at five-eighth.

Try-scoring machine Alex Johnston and Lachlan Lam lead the way for the Kumuls while the Fijian squad includes attacking weapons in Maika Sivo and Mikaele Ravalawa along with impressive rookies Jahream Bula and Sunia Turuva.

All matches will be televised on the Nine Network and Fox Sports and can be streamed on Kayo and 9Now.

Don’t think it’s quite the same without Tonga.

 

[Halbrowne61]

Junior Tupou has travelled to the UK and has officially been added to the Tonga squad for their Test series against England.

All good experience for him.

 

[Tucker]

Hi all, great atmosphere in Townsville.
That was a pretty shit game of footy to be honest but some of those Kiwi girls hit like trucks…so that was good.
Main game should be a walk over but we’ll see if Samoa can back up their World Cup efforts.
Interesting to see that just about every Rugby League identity you can name is at the ground…old and current.
The city will be rocking after this game.

 

[Demps]

Matamua starting hooker for Samoa

 

[tigertuff]

Matamua starting hooker for Samoa

Great experience for the kid. Let’s hope he plays well.