Pacific Championship Finals Day Watchlist

All good things must come to an end. Hopefully, after last week’s Tonga v Kiwis test, this International Rugby League period can get better still.

Tonga doesn’t need to beat the Kangaroos for this weekend to be memorable, but it would certainly help. Meanwhile, the Jillaroos are looking to bounce back from their loss to the Kiwi Ferns in last year’s final. There will be a few nerves around New Zealand as the Kiwis face the Papua New Guinea Kumuls to keep their place in the top competition, with Fetu Samoa and the Papua New Guinea Orchids playing out the promotion/relegation portion of the women’s competition.

I’ll be covering things here on the day.

Tonga’s Blueprint

Isaiya Katoa’s field goal last week will go down as one of the most significant moments in Tongan Rugby League history. Not only is it a win over the New Zealand Kiwis - who they hadn’t beaten since the 2017 Rugby League World Cup - it’s the welcome to International Rugby League moment we’ve rarely seen from a Tongan halfback - if ever.

While it’s a kick that will replayed for years to come, the whole set leading up to it provides a blueprint for how Tonga can beat the Australian Kangaroos in the Pacific Championships Final on Sunday afternoon. It captures their greatest strengths working to perfection, and only extended periods of perfection will do against the Kangaroos.

Tonga’s perfection is predicated on power but relies on moments of brilliance to be realised.

The game-winning set starts with some calculated razzle as Paul Alamoti releases a blind offload off the ground in yardage.

Blind offload off the ground in yardage won’t make many game plans at any level, but it provided Tonga with the spark they needed to turn a good Kiwis set against them. With the offload, Sione Katoa is able to wind up and pick out the diminutive Kodi Nikorima in the line.

By being able to poke his head through the line, Katoa gets a quick play-the-ball away for Daniel Tupou to carry from.

Tupou is also able to win the tackle and continues Tonga’s move up the field. He brings Joseph Tapine into the tackle, which is notable moving forward.

Another outside back can often be called upon on the third tackle as the forwards continue to track back, but with the yardage already generated through Katoa and Tupou, Adin Fonua-Blake and Jason Taumalolo are behind the ball and ready to continue Tonga’s momentum.

Founa-Blake is able to stand in the tackle. It leaves James Fisher-Harris the slightest bit late to second marker and Tapine, who was involved in the Tupou tackle, is forced to cover a lot of ground to get to the A spot on the long side. It gives Taumalolo the smallest space in behind the markers and he takes it for another strong carry and quick play-the-ball.

Fonua-Blake into Taumalolo…

It won’t be often that Tonga isn’t on the front foot in those scenarios. While Felise Kaufusi isn’t typically a prop, he knows precisely what is required.

He’s again in behind the ruck attacking the same tiring defenders. Tapine and Leo Thompson have made numerous tackles in this set and are gassed.

Scott Sorensen is perfectly placed at first marker. He’s fresh and applies the sort of kick pressure that would see a field goal missed more often than not.

But there’s that moment of brilliance from Isaiya Katoa.

He’s a player beyond his years. He’s the halfback Tonga has been searching for to lead the squad. He’s the future, and the future starts on Sunday against Australia in a clash that could go down as one of the all-time greats.

A good read: When it comes to Tonga and Test rugby league, Jason Taumalolo is still larger than life

And another: ‘He thought I was tipsy’: The phonecall that changed international rugby league

Other Pacific Championships Notes

• Huge day for the Kiwis. It’s another farewell for Shaun Johnson, but all of the focus will be on securing their place in the top tier. They played themselves into form over the second half against Tonga but left themselves too much to do in the end. It’s a level that can secure victory by halftime on Sunday if they can replicate it, though.

• The Papua New Guinea Kumuls are going to be fired up. This an incredible opportunity to make their own mark on International Rugby League as Samoa and Tonga start to pull away from the Tier 2 nations on the field. We know they will bring the physicality - hopefully within the rules. The Kiwis are in for an extremely physical two weeks through the middle. But where victory will be decided - like last week - is in the performance of their halves.

  If they can produce moments like these on the run…

Or these by reacting to cues in the defensive line…

The Kumuls are capable of an upset.

• I still can’t wrap my head around Brad Donald leaving Olivia Kernick out of the Jillaroos side. Keely Davis was another, but she is back in and on the bench for this one.
  
  I don’t expect there to be much between the two teams early on. The Ferns’ power through the middle will make it difficult for the likes of Tarryn Aiken and Tamika Upton to produce the moments of brilliance they’re both capable of at any time. Instead, the benches profile as the difference and Davis out of dummy half with Sarah Togatuki off her hip is when things might open up.