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Tonga enter this World Cup in a position of extreme strength. You can pick the vast majority of their team now, they’ve had a mid-season hit-out and – unlike island brothers/eternal rivals Samoa – they aren’t dependant on a heap of Origin players coming back to them for the World Cup.
Mate Ma’a Tonga were the surprise package of World Cup 2017, but will surprise nobody in 2022. They go in as a clear threat to win the whole thing.
Since Jason Taumalolo declared his allegiance to his heritage over the country of his birth, New Zealand, international rugby league has been transformed. That transformation enters its next stage in 2022, because not they have the weight of expectation to go with the talent.
With a group that includes a tough PNG, they should at least get to the knockouts, and from there, nobody will fancy facing them. It’s game on for Tonga.
Tonga have a very settled side. Sione Katoa is back after missing the end of the season with Cronulla, and they get Daniel Tupou from the Origin set-up. Felise Kaufusi also joins after missing the mid-season game.
Tolu Koula plays in the centres at club level but is likely to move to his junior grade position of fullback, just like he did against the Kiwis. His competition at the back will be Tesi Niu.
Tonga have long missed a genuine halfback, and it is likely that they will turn to Tui Lolohea to fill that role. He’s been on fire for Huddersfield in the Super League. He generally plays as a pivot, but will be shifted into half to allow Junior Amone to play at five-eighth. At centre will be Parra’s Grand Finalist Will Penisini.
In the forwards, Addin Fonua-Blake will be join by Siosiua Taukeiaho in the front row, with sipi tau leader Siliva Havili the most likely man to go between them. Tevita Tatola and Moeaki Fotuaika will rotate and Ben Murdoch-Masila might feature.
The back row option are insane: Taumalolo and Kaufusi, of course, but also Haumole Olakau’atu, Keaon Koloamatangi and Siosifa Talakai, back from Origin duty.
Haumole Olakau’atu. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Moses Suli will be a walk-up if fit, but has been suffering from an ankle injury. Soni Luke is not a regular first-grader with Penrith but hookers are thin on the ground for Tonga and makes the squad. The same could be said for Panthers junior Isaiya Katoa, set to link up with the Dolphins in 2023, because there aren’t that many Tongan halfbacks running around.
Will Hopoate has been battling injuries all year with St Helens, but plays under Woolf every week and will offer crucial utility value. Konrad Hurrell is in too, which should be fun
Andrew Fifita was part of the original wave of heritage players to flip to Mate Ma’a Tonga and they’ve stayed loyal to him. His namesake, David Fifita, would have started the season hoping for Australian honours but gets Tonga instead.
1 Tesi Niu
2 Sione Katoa
3 Will Penisini
4 Konrad Hurrell
5 Daniel Tupou
6 Junior Amone
7 Tui Lolohea
8 Siosiua Taukeiaho
9 Siliva Havili
10 Addin Fonua-Blake
11 Keaon Koloamatangi
12 Felise Kaufusi
13 Jason Taumalolo
14 Soni Luke
15 Tevita Tatola
16 Moeaki Fotuaika
17 Haumole Olakau’atu
18 Ben Murdoch-Masila
19 Tolu Koula
20 Moses Suli
21 David Fifita
22 Siosifa Talakai
23 Isaiya Katoa
24 William Hopoate
World Cup Chasers is our new Rugby League World Cup podcast and will be released weekly all the way through to the final at Old Trafford in November.
It features exclusive interviews, plus expert analysis from The Roar rugby league writers Mike Meehall Wood and Mary Konstantopolous, as well as Michael Carbone from Chasing Kangaroos, the original international rugby league podcast.