Twenty-year-old Sione Vea of the Toloa Old Boys Rugby Club is the only domestic player in the Mate Ma’a Tonga team to face Fiji tomorrow. His selection is part of a development resolve to ensure domestic representation in the Mate Ma’a Tonga team. If Tonga were to dominate Fiji Bati, Sione Vea could get some playing time and a chance to shine.

Secretary General for the Tongan National Rugby League, Tavake Fangupo, said in an NRL media release "For the last three or four years, we've always included a domestic player from Tonga."

"It's an incentive for the best player from our local competition to get the opportunity to come and develop and hang out with the NRL boys throughout the Pacific Test,” he added.

"Having Sione here will be a great experience for him because he's never travelled to Australia or New Zealand. It's great that he's been able to work closely with some of the Tongan boys who know how to speak the language."

"That was one of the criteria that the head coach was looking for when he asked us to select players from Tonga. He wanted an outside back who was 23 years or younger and Sione – as a 20-year-old – fit the bill," he said. 

"He's a young up-and-coming player so hopefully an event like this inspires him for the World Cup."