Tonga is adamant off-field distractions will have no effect on their performance against Great Britain in tonight's rugby league test in Hamilton.
The team is playing under the banner of "Invitational XIII" after a court ruled the Tonga National Rugby League was the only authority able to operate the official national side, Mate Ma'a Tonga, following a long-running dispute between coach Kristian Woolf and the TNRL.
Captain Jason Taumalolo says the off-field politics have not been a focus for the players.
"It hasn't really affected us as much as I thought. The boys have been great coming into camp and since they walked into camp on day one it's all been about footy," Taumalolo said.
That's the way we're going to keep it for the next two weeks in camp and that's the way we're going to approach the two games too."
The game against the Lions comes after Tongan players had threatened to boycott Test matches against Great Britain and Australia due to a dispute with the TNRL board.
Taumalolo says through all of the off-field drama the players have remained united.
"Since 2017 the boys have had that special bond where if one goes we all follow, That hasn't changed since then and when one of our own senses that something isn't right I think that gives everyone else that bit of sense that they should follow too," he said.
"For us it was all about not just ourselves but for the bigger game itself and making sure that rugby league in Tonga is still playing its part in helping the community and the people."
International Rugby League suspended the TNRL last month after Kristian Woolf was sacked by the national body over disagreements around control and finances.
The chair of the Auckland-based Tongan Advisory Council, Melino Maka, called for people to boycott today's game in protest at the treatment of the TNRL.
But Woolf, who is back in charge of the Invitational XIII, believes the team still has the backing of the Tongan community.
"The messages that we're getting is that people really want to get behind this team and that's exactly what they should do. It's a terrific group of men, they stand up for what they believe in, they've done that a number of times over the last few years and they're a group that everyone involved with Tonga, whether they be in New Zealand or in Tonga or in Australia, should be really really proud of," Woolf said.
"They've made a lot of sacrifice to represent the country and they've represented their country really well and again everyone should really get behind them."
Taumalolo believes Tongan fans will still show up to support their team against Great Britain.
"It's Tongan people so I'm expecting them to turn up even though the ticket numbers aren't real good at the moment, from what I've heard. No doubt they'll still be out here, they'll turn up late and they'll be lining up tomorrow night outside the gates so it should be good," Taumalolo said.
"Everything that's happened leading up to these two games it's definitely not what we're about but as we say we're still here to represent Tonga and our people and despite a few comments from other people in the community. These boys, even though they wear a different badge at the moment going into these two games, everyone deep down knows that we're playing for them."