COWBOY SADDLES UP FOR TONGA
COWBOYS rookie Peter Hola is set to make his representative debut as Tonga casts one eye to the future of the game.
Hola was named in the 16man Tonga squad for next weekend’s World Cup Nines tournament and will be joined by fellow Cowboys Jason Taumalolo and John Asiata.
It is a well-earned call-up for Hola who made an impressive rise into the NRL ranks this season.
After dominating the Queensland Cup with the Northern Pride, the 20-yearold lock made his NRL debut in the Queensland Derby at 1300SMILES Stadium before going on to play the final five matches of the season.
Taumalolo and Asiata will be two of the more experienced heads in a young Nines squad that also features established Tongan stars Andrew Fifita, Tevita Pangai Jr and Joe Ofahengaue.
The rest of the squad is made up of a mix of emerging NRL talents and under-20s representatives.
Cowboys assistant coach David Tangata-toa, who has worked as Tonga’s assistant coach under Kristian Woolf, has been handed the reins of the side in what is his first international head coach role.
“I am pretty excited about the team we have assembled, we have some really experienced players in the forwards and some young outside backs that will complement them,” Tangata-toa said.
“These young kids get to come in and play with the likes of Jason and Andrew, which will be a good learning experience for them and something they will get a lift out of. It is terrific to be able to reward these young footballers with the opportunity.”
With upcoming Tests against Great Britain and the Kangaroos, several players from the Tonga squad have been rested after playing finals football last month including Roosters grand finalist Siosiua Taukeiaho, the Eels’ Manu Ma’u and Sea-eagles’ big man Addin Fonua-blake.
The Tongan XIII will be in camp in Sydney during the week, and Tangata-toa said they would join forces with the World Cup Nines squad for a joint training session.
While they might be an emerging squad, TangataToa said they were not just going to the tournament for fun and would be pressing their claim to take out the inaugural title.
“That is the plan, we have got a fairly decent side with a very strong forward pack,” he said. “If you look at the tournament most countries have fielded very strong squads. It will be exciting.”
After watching Hola make his NRL debut earlier this season, the Tongan coach said he couldn’t wait to see it on the international stage. The 20-year-old bulldozer is holidaying in New Zealand with his family and will join the camp tomorrow.
“He has had a great year with the Cows and it is terrific to reward those young players who have put their hand up,” he said.
“I think he was in disbelief. We had to name an initial 20man squad and then narrowed it down to the final 16. When he was looking at the names in the forward he was thinking he would miss out.
“He is a terrific kid and has worked very hard to get to where he is.” The World Cup Nines kick off at Sydney’s Bankwest Stadium on Friday, with all the action live streamed on Kayo Sports.