Not just playing but captaining a nations team! In contracts n didn't know we'd draw saints.
Good for them though really. Imagine captaining a national team. Unlucky for us. But ellis n mini come in. Fresh

I guess Ellis's early guilty plea makes even more sense now.

Shit happens. We've enough to win if we play to our full potential. The player we miss most in the squad when he's not playing (Houghton always plays so isn't included) is Ellis. Mini is also high up that list so if they are both back then we'll still have a top back row.

Can move Watts to second row after his break for our second try. What a line!

Who's to say Minichiello will be fit? Missed a lot of games last season due to the same injury.

My sentiments entirely. Pritchard played 26 times for N.Z & became `Samoan' when they stopped selecting him, played 4 times for Samoa since.
(born in Sydney) according to his career stats.
Ditto. Manu 13 caps for N.Z 4 for Tonga. Born in Wellington.
They should be showing some allegiance to the club that pays their wages, for what is the most important game of the season so far, not travelling halfway
around the world for what is effectively a `cobbled together' curtain raiser.

He missed just three out of thirty-three games last season.

Did fonua get called up aswell? Cause I know he's played for Tonga before

Ridiculous that the Cup has clashed with internationals. Organisers should have made sure these games are on different weeks.

You think they care about us over in Oz? Unfortunately the difficult draw has magnified the problem. Had we got an easy draw, say oldham at home, it wouldn't have mattered

So, if either get injured (which I sincerely hope they don't) will the club be recompensed? Remember Prekkis injury in the Lanc V Yorks game?

I wish them both well, to have two international captains in our team is something to be proud of. We've got Mini and Ellis back so still at strength.

Any other super league players been called up ?

Pita Godinet.

He's at manly now isn't he?

Yeah, played yesterday for them

No, we're the only one(s). Rest are NRL, who have no fixtures next week.

Yep, totally forgot!

Samoa - Tonga is on Premiersports along with PNG - Fiji game .

very good for the club's PR both in tonga and samoa and around the globe. sometimes we need to see the bigger picture

I'll be there as the venue is pretty close to me and the matches between the Pacific Island countries are pretty passionate affairs. Also the first match of the day features the Junior Kiwis v Junior Aussies which interests my Penrith fan mate as the club has around 8 players involved in the match.

Believe in his early career Tuimavave captained the junior Kiwis before playing for Samoa

Yeh real passionate, rumour as it, the opposing captains have a real hatred for each other and cant wait to batter 10 bellsof shiiiit out of each other. Cant wait for this game, highlight of the season, which will take rugby league internationals to a new level and capture the imagination of the whole wide world

Hopefully this is the start of the SL and NRL agreeing a worldwide international window and releasing all players for international duty.

England to play NZ mid season alongside all of this would be great, as well as Wales vs France, Scotland vs Ireland, Italy vs Lebanon, etc.