International rugby league talking points, New Zealand, Joseph Manu, Samoa, Anthony Milford, Fiji, Sunia Turuva, World Cup

Joseph Manu, Samoa, Anthony Milford, Fiji and Sunia Turuva were playing international rugby league over the weekend. It was the first international game in almost three years. The World Cup takes place in October.

Joseph Manu, Samoa, Anthony Milford, Fiji, Sunia Turuva, New Zealand, and the World Cup are the talking points from the international rugby league fixtures over the weekend.

New Zealand beat Tonga 26-6 on Saturday night. The win cemented their status as World Cup favourites with Australia. They blooded four debutants against Tongan. Joey Manu was the star player for New Zealand. Cooper Cronk believes it was one of the better international performances he's seen. New Zealander is looking to win their first World cup since 2008.

Joey Manu played fullback for New Zealand against Samoa. He ran 302 metres from 27 carries, had six tackle busts, a linebreak and a break assist. Jesse Bromwich praised his performance. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck left New Zealander rugby league for rugby union last year. Michael Maguire praised the team for setting up his fullback. The coach is happy with his players' performance so far. It's the World Cup. New Kiwis are playing Samoa, Fiji and Australia.

Sunia Turuva scored two tries and ran for 229 metres for Penrith against Papua New Guinea on Saturday. Izack Tago and Taylan May are the latest Penrsiders to make their NRL debuts. Tura re-signed earlier this month.

Turuva is set to stay at Penrith until at least the 2024 season. He will be back-up to Dylan Edwards and Tom Jenkins if he gets injured. Viliame Kikau's exit to Bulldogs could open a spot in the backline. Luke Garner or Mavrik Geyer could fill that void.

Anthony Milford impressed Benji Marshall with his performance for Samoa against New Zealand. Marshall reckons that Milton's playing for his country could be a catalyst for a resurgence for the Newcastle Knights. The Knights are struggling at the bottom of the NRL table. The coach believes that the attitude of Milon should be taken into consideration when he plays for club games.