Has the NRL season become too full for the Pacific Championship?

10/17/2024 07:57 PM

The Pacific Championship kicks off on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium. However, recent years have seen a lack of excitement heading into the games, leading many to question if the NRL season has become too packed.

Whilst the games are an important international tradition, with the competition falling just weeks after the Grand final, players and fans are left feeling fatigued.

"If you want to keep international footy, you need to compromise somewhere," Justin Horo said on *SEN The Run Home. *

Horo discussed the impact of Origin on players as having such a large set of games in the middle of the season, has prolonged mental and physical impacts on players.

"It just completely drains them," he added.

Horo states his love for the Pacific Championship believing it can be sustained and still enjoyed by all, with a few small changes to the NRL season and other International games.

"In a perfect world we can maybe condense the season by a game or two and get a little taste of International footy through the middle part of the year."

"Why not go back to the old system of New Zealand, Australia and England in a tri nations?"

"I'd love to see them build up the growth of the Samoa vs Tonga rivalry."

"At the end of the season I think that rivalry could become something special that players look forward to playing each season."

Despite a lack of excitement surrounding this year's Pacific Championship, Horo is hopeful in seeing improvements make for coming seasons and is still keen to see an exciting set of games kicking off tonight at Suncorp Stadium.