NRL 2017
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@rapido You're right it is a pretty flash stadium. 25,000 seater and even has coloured in seats.
PNG will be good this tournament. Playing in Port Moresby and they also have a squad full of Queensland Cup players, the NRL's second-tier competition (the PNG Hunters won the QC final this season too).
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Interesting inclusion in the All Ireland team at standoff - Api Pewhairangi
He is actually more legitamate.
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Interesting inclusion in the All Ireland team at standoff - Api Pewhairangi
He is actually more legitamate.
Ah that's ok then, he is not a poach.
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Tonga crushes Scotland 50-4. They have a dominant side in this tournament but their halves (Lolohea/Hingano) and hooker (Havili) will be tested.
Kiwis Vs Tonga at Waikato Stadium is looking to be the game to go to. Will probably head down for it.
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Watched sky highlights this morning.
Great crowd (noise) in Port Moresby. Although not 100% full, which is surprising to me as it is their national sport.It's been a long, long time time I've seen any televised league test out of PNG. I remember a few in the 80s & early 90s, when it was crowd hanging from trees and roofs cliche, and (nz) players reporting in the size of the rocks in the playing field.
Flash stadium now, there was a Fifa U20 (or U17?) women's World Cup there a year or 2 ago, I think they built stadiums for (which played to empty crowds).
The PNG govt pledged to fund Tonga's stadium redevelopment until the ass fell out of whatever mineral price they are reliant on and they reneged (hence Tonga playing Wales at Eden Park earlier this year)
My old boss went to PNG for the Kiwis' 1986 tour as a part of the media corp. He tells a story about going over a very treacherous mountain pass in a rickety old bus (possibly to Goroka for the first test, judging by Wikipedia), but the trip was being made much more difficult by the bus driver, who was swerving all over the place. The team realised he was pissed and had to actually yank him out of the seat for one of the squad to take over.
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Pretty awesome atmosphere at Waikato Stadium, the haka showdown between Samoa and Tonga is doing the rounds on social media.
Kiwis simply ran the helpless Scots off the park. Their best line up to take on Tonga next week at Waikato Stadium will probably be:
1.Tuivasa-Sheck 2.Hiku 3.Whare 4.Takarangi 5.Rapana 6.Martin 7.Johnson 8.Taupau 9.Leuluai 10.Blair 11.Bromwich 12.Tapine 13.Mannering
Bench: 14.Nikorima 15.Packer 16.Liu 17.Asofa-Solomona
