Tonga vs Kiwis

Mate Ma'a Tonga is making a big move for Saturday's matchup against the Kiwis, with nine uncapped players to be fielded.

"It's a really strong team and one of the stronger ones I've ever been a part of. Mate Ma'a Tonga is making a big move for Saturday's matchup against the Kiwis, with nine uncapped players to be fielded. We talk most days and I give him an update on how training is going and keeping up the certain standards of what it means to play for Tonga".

Coach Michael McGuire has picked four debutants in a powerful Kiwis line-up to tackle Mate Ma'a Tonga at Mt Smart. Three new backs - winger Ronaldo Mulital.

It's important to note in the case of Tonga, that this match only has NRL talent (no Super League players) and players that aren't playing State of Origin, so ...

With these sides playing the first match for their country since 2019, there's going to be a lot of national pride at stake. The challenge is the inexperience in the halves with a likely combination of Kotoni Staggs and Talatau Amone who are yet to play in the halves together. My tip: Well, international footy is back and in a big way with the clash of the giants of Pasifika rugby league. Manu's ball playing ability and clever footwork will be handy for a New Zealand side trying to build momentum heading into the end of season World Cup. Tonga have been the spearheads of a resurgence in international football as of late, with a sensational upset of Australia prior to the world shutting down. Just in case we forgot, their last meeting was in 2019 and the Kiwis were too strong for Tonga, but the sides will be very different to what we saw three years ago in Auckland. The match will be won and lost in the forward pack and with the form of James Fisher-Harris and Joe Tapine, it should be enough to offset the loss of Jared Waerea-Hargraves who's out due to injury. Another interesting tidbit is the absence of Tonga coach Kristian Woolf who's unable to make the trip to NZ due to his commitments in England with his high-flying St Helens side. Starting with the Kiwis, and it's going to be an emotional week for all involved, as they will return home for the first time and have the opportunity to play for friends and family. Who to watch: In what many have said has been an underwhelming season by the Roosters thus far, it's safe to say Joey Manu has continued to develop into one of the game's most dangerous attacking exploits. It'll be up to Madge to get the troops fired up for a match that is likely to dominated by a sea of red in the crowd. National pride is on the line in Rugby League's first trip to New Zealand since the COVID pandemic struck.

All rugby league eyes will be fixed on Mount Smart Stadium when New Zealand host Tonga for the first time since 2019.

"This week they have a very important Test match to be able to come back together and reignite." "The players, especially in the past, have built a momentum towards what they want to achieve, and that's success at the World Cup. "To watch the players come in and the passion they have for this space - it's pretty exciting," Kiwis coach Michael Maguire told media.