NRL: New Zealand have ran up a huge score in their opening Pacific Championship game against Samoa at Eden park.
Samoa coach Ben Gardiner believes the NRL should consider reinstating the mid year Test weekend to give the likes of Tonga, Samoa and Fiji to gain more international experience.
“For us, we need test matches,” Gardiner said in his post match press conference after Samoa’s 50-0 loss to New Zealand in Auckland.“Whatever the NRL decides to do, they decide to do as I don’t make those decisions but from our point of view we want to play Test matches. As it stands, Samoa won’t play their next Test match for another 12 months. When asked if it felt crazy that it be so long between Tests, Gardiner responded with a laugh, “For sure”.
With the 2025 Rugby League World Cup pushed back a year and still up for grabs after France pulled out of hosting, there is likely to be a bid from a group of Pacific Island countries, including Samoa, to hold the event.“You saw the support we got here in Auckland, imagine taking that game to Samoa and the support we’d get there.“There’s a big following for the Toa Samoa team so to be able to take a game to home, well yeah, it could be anything couldn’t it.
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