Rugby league: Tonga coach Dean Young praises strength of international game ahead of clash against Kiwis

Tonga will take on New Zealand at Mt Smart Stadium this weekend. Photo / Getty Images

While international rugby league has historically taken a back seat to the NRL, Tongan coach Dean Young believes the international game is as strong as it has ever been with the World Cup approaching in October.

For years, eligibility rules meant players had to select just one nation to represent, which saw the pool of talent for the tier one nations Australia, England and New Zealand run deep, while other nations generally didn't have the top-level talent available to them.

In 2016, that all changed when the Rugby League International Federation approved changes which included eligible players being able to nominate one tier one nation to represent and one tier two nation, and being able to play for both during a single World Cup cycle with no stand-down period.

The change has allowed the international game to flourish despite limited matches, with Tonga now on par with the tier-one nations, and the likes of Samoa and Fiji rising rapidly.

This weekend, Tonga will take on the Kiwis at Mt Smart Stadium with a strong squad featuring several players who had previously only been able to play for their chosen tier-one nations, including Jason Taumalolo, Addin Fonua-Blake and Siosiua Taukeiaho, who have all represented the Kiwis.

On the other side of the field, the Kiwis will be fielding their strongest side in years.

"I think the international game is in a great position now. New Zealand have fielded the strongest side they've fielded in a long time. I can't even remember a side being fielded like this," Young said.

"Then you look at what Samoa are going to run out at the World Cup, Fiji are getting stronger, we're in a strong position, so it's going to be a great tournament at the end of the year."

While Tonga will be fielding a quality squad on Saturday evening, the eligibility rules have seen them lose backline stars Daniel Tupou and Siosifa Talakai for the weekend as the pair opted to play in Sunday's State of Origin clash instead, both having been selected to play for New South Wales.

While the Tongan group would undoubtedly like to have Talakai and Tupou available to them this weekend, it isn't likely to do any damage to their preparations for the World Cup in England later in the year if their full squad isn't available to them just yet.

"With the World Cup, it's a longer preparation; you're going to spend a lot more time together so it gives you the opportunity to build those combinations," Young said.

"What [fellow coach] Kristian [Woolf] and I have both said all along is whatever the Tongan players decide to do, we'll support them 100 per cent. It's an honour to play for Tonga and I'm sure whatever squad we take over to England will do their best. That's all we can ask for."