Welcome to a new edition to The Gurgler family – The Wash Up, a look on the weekend that was, the weekend that will be, or the sporting world that is. In addition to providing enough stats and barely interesting facts to fill several wheelbarrows, offering up previews that aren’t previewed, and reviews which are so rarely reviewed, The Wash Up is a chance to add a little opinion into a key sporting event or theme, with this week’s tome about the Tonga v Samoa Rugby League World Cup match last weekend.
The Tonga v Samoa World Cup Rugby League World Cup had a lot of hype in the lead up to the game on Sunday, and unlike a lot of uber-hyped sporting events every year like Sydney to Hobart yacht race, any major tennis tournament and occasionally State of Origin, it did live up to the expectations. The contest was great, the pre-match battle cries were awesome, and because it wasn’t on Channel Nein, the coverage didn’t annoy.
As good as the game was, the week leading up to the game was just as good. The game was the talk of rugby league mostly, outside of the so very tedious November 1 bullsh!t. But that’s a rant for another time.
How many utes, vans, trucks and non-electric vehicles were driving around all rugby league states with giant Tongan and Samoan flags proudly flying. And what a sight. Such loyalty too. With the size of some of the national flags being almost big enough to cover the roof on a small house, the drag on the cars would have been massive, which would be bad for fuel economy, an expensive hobby in this current climate.
There was even pictures of the same thing happening in the US of all places. The rugby league was buzzing even more than before any State of Origin match we can remember. The Samoan and Tongan flags brought smiles to people’s faces. All this in the off season. Or maybe it’s just this because of the off season. We doubt it though.
Our opinion is that Rugby League is sitting on a potential goldmine of neutral interest, and one that demands that this game is played more than once every now and again.
At a minimum, this match should be played at least once a year, not just at World Cups, where it is a headline over Australia and New Zealand matches, and not just because it was a welcome break from the one-sided contests, but because of the passion of the players and fans.
It should be an annual highlight of the rugby league season, not just jammed into a half-arsed end of the season competition. Since 2016 they have met seven times and less before that. Although that was before Rugby League bosses made the greatest decision for international rugby league ever by allowing State of Origin players and Australian reps to represent the nation of their choice.
It’s not enough in general, and after last weekend’s game rugby league needs to showcase that could be its best product. A product to destroy AFL once and for all in the northern states.
The easiest way to do that, and to improve rugby league in general and give the majority of fans what they want and need is include an annual Tonga v Samoa game as part of a standalone State Of Origin series, with a Pacific Nations tournament and Women’s State of Origin featured on the same weekend. No other rugby league on that weekend.
But how does that work?
It’s so simple, it takes only the most stubborn of people in charge to say no. Aka Peter V’landys. Which is what is currently happening, and that is because the gent in charge can’t think that anyone else would have an idea of how to run rugby league.
A potential format is below for the weekend of rugby league:
Friday: Women’s State of Origin
Saturday: Two Pacific Cup Pool Games + other internationals.
Sunday: Men’s State of Origin.
Repeat twice more to cover the three games State of Origin needs, and for the Pacific Cup to complete one game each.
The Pacific Cup is a pool of four teams who all play each other once with the winner decided on competition points then for and against. The four teams should be Tonga, Samoa, PNG and Fiji, but you could have qualifying for the one spot between other qualifiers and the worst performing team.
But the important thing is that Tonga and Samoa are meeting each other at least once a year. More if there are end of the season tournaments.
Maybe rugby league knows that this would work and are worried that Tonga v Samoa could take over as rugby league’s most followed match, the best H2H of the season, or the best vibe of rugby league.
Maybe they should be, as Tonga v Samoa could be bigger than State of Origin.
And if that happens, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
