Eels Blogs

Replies

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  Beer Baron October 24, 2015 at 5:15pm

  Also forgot to add in png
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    Sir Col "THE NODDY MUSHROOM" > Beer Baron October 24, 2015 at 7:34pm

    PNG is NOT part of the Pacific Island group - in fact with the right coaching they could be a force in their own right.

    Go check their performance in the Intrust Super Cup this year.

    Fiji, Tonga and Samoa will NEVER combine to make just one team.

    The cultures do not get on well together and it just won't work.
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  sparky 74 October 24, 2015 at 5:51pm

  Not a bad idea would be good to see that side play a mid year Tri series vs Australia & nz
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    Beer Baron > sparky 74 October 24, 2015 at 6:43pm

    Yeah even if they did that as a tester to see the level of support
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  BlacJac October 24, 2015 at 6:02pm

  Look at the improvement in these teams in the last decade. They will be quite competitive in their own right within the next few years.
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  The Offside Eel October 24, 2015 at 6:12pm

  No but an indigenous all stars vs pacific all stars game would be amazing.
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  Beer Baron October 24, 2015 at 6:35pm

  I disagree with those who have said it can't work. I think that improvement has been made but they are a looooong way off being competitive as individual nations. As far as stifling the game in the islands, imagine if the Pacific Islander team won or at least made it to the final of a World Cup... You would have thousands of youngsters wanting to be footy players. You would have national heroes in 5 or 6 countries rather than 1. In addition to that even if one Island nation excels individually over the next 10 years I don't think it's likely that all will...
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    Ricky > Beer Baron October 24, 2015 at 6:59pm

    But what if that Pacific Islands team is eliminated at the group stage? 
    
    Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga & PNG immediately lose interest in the World Cup or Four Nations, because they have no team or players to relate to. 

    They all wear their heart on their sleeve and the passion that comes from their fans in those regions and within Australia and the passion shown by players to don those jerseys are priceless. Those factors alone are worth keeping the system and having each team perform separately on their own.
    If you amalgamate, it takes away the motivation and desire to play for your country for players eligible for the Pacific nations and effectively, in my view, means that RL in the Pacific Islands goes backwards and becomes what it was 10 years ago - a long, hard slog, that didn't amount to anything.

    Right now, every Pacific nation is in a pretty strong position on their own and that is down to their commitments, hard-work and desire to make RL bigger, better and stronger in their regions, which they have. To create a unified Pacific Islands team negates all that hard work they have put in.
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    Sir Col "THE NODDY MUSHROOM" > Beer Baron October 24, 2015 at 7:37pm

    Unfortunately BB your comments show a complete lack of understanding of the Island cultures.

    I am not knocking your idea per se - just pointing out how these Island nations do not cooperate well with each other.
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    Beer Baron > Beer Baron October 25, 2015 at 12:04am

    No offence taken sir col. I know there are cultural differences but as I said if the Wellington bid can incorporate Fiji which is a completely different culture and the west indies can make it work in cricket ( where islands have French and English cultures and languages$ then surely it is worth a try. In regards to the earlier comment about being knocked out in the quarter finals..... Is that not what happens anyway at the moment...