Former Tonga international Willie Los'e is questioning why NZ Rugby didn't cover the costs of COVID managed isolation for the Pacific Island players.
On Saturday, the under-strength Tonga side suffered a loss of more than 100 points against the All Blacks, but their off-field setbacks have continued to draw attention.
After the match at Mt Smart Stadium, coach Toutai Kefu confirmed many of his players had to pay their own way through quarantine to be there.
"We've tried to subsidise that, but I think we're still working through that," Kefu said.
Critics have pointed out that six cricket sides toured New Zealand over the summer - including the West Indies and Bangladesh - and all had their quarantine costs covered by NZ Cricket.
Including staff, some of those squads consisted of up to 70 members, at an MIQ cost of $7000 a head.
Los'e - who played three tests for Tonga in 1995 - is among many who have wondered why NZ Rugby has failed to offer the same.
"It's a bit rich, really, asking a poor nation of players to pay their own way and then to pay for the MIQ," Los'e tells Newshub.
"That just rubs salt in the wound and, to me, it's not a good look for NZ Rugby."
Preparing to take on Fiji in Dunedin on Saturday, the All Blacks were reluctant to weigh in on conversations about quarantine, but are well aware of the plight of their Pacific rivals.
"It's a tough situation for the island nations," says All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith. "But we're just, as players, doing our best to connect with them."
The primary reason Tonga came to New Zealand was to play two World Cup qualifiers against Samoa. The match against the All Blacks was arranged once they knew they were already coming.
They never requested assistance with MIQ, but Saturday's huge scoreline has opened up a whole new conversation about the disparity between the teams and the hurdles faced by the smaller teams.
Watch the full story above and join us at 5pm Saturday for live updates of the Tonga v Manu Samoa test
