Loopholes are killing international rugby league
Roar Guru By ScottWoodward.me, 30 Mar 2012 ScottWoodward.me is a Roar Guru
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Rugby league’s most promising young forward Jason Taumalolo was born in Auckland and raised nearby at Māngere, the same struggle street multi-cultural area as New Zealand’s former Prime Minister David Lange and the former heavy weight boxing champ David Tua.
But in a blight for the game and a setback for international footy, he is eligible to play for Australia against his own country.
The decision to turn his back on New Zealand, which he represented as a junior Kiwi in 2010 and again last year, must have been painful, but the game should never have put the brilliant 18-year-old in a win-lose position like this.
Queensland Origin coach Mal Meninga would have pointed out that if he pledges his allegiance to the Maroons he will earn a fortune playing three State of Origins every year for the next 14 years. With average match payments of, say, $20,000, that is
$60,000 every year during his career, or a total of $840,000.
Meninga is a god like figure to a wet behind the ears kid and combined with a manager who would earn around an incremental $60,000 out of the rort, it would be near impossible to say no.
Big Mal also would have rightly pointed out that although he is a Kiwi, he would also be able to play for Australia and earn even more money.
This is a case of money versus country, and powerful men exploiting poorly written rules at the expense of the greater good – the game of rugby league.
The new Australian RL Commission must rewrite the rules of who can play State of Origin and who can play for their country. The number one rule must be that you cannot play either unless you have been nationalised as an Australian.
Taumalolo moved to Australia at age 13 and I first saw him play at 15 and he was a standout as the biggest player, but incredibly had the rare ability to step off both feet at pace before the line, a feat that few senior players have mastered. Thoughts of witnessing the next Beetson flashed through my mind.
It was no surprise to see the kid promoted as the youngest player ever to make his debut for the Cowboys, aged 17 years, two months and 21 days.
No one can blame Meninga for wanting Taumalolo, or John Ribot signing Greg Inglis when he was born in NSW, as these are rare talents and the rules allow for them to be handed a Maroon jersey.
Origin will always flourish as the brand is so strong, but the Kiwis cannot afford to lose the Taumalolo’s if they ever hope to be the leading rugby league nation.
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March 30th 2012 @ 9:37am
Dan said | March 30th 2012 @ 9:37am | Report comment
Yep good point, you would be M.A.D if you didn’t want Greg Inglis I suppose
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March 30th 2012 @ 9:46am
ScottWoodward.me said | March 30th 2012 @ 9:46am | Report comment
Dan
It is just business and Origin is big business. It is dog eat dog.
March 30th 2012 @ 9:41am
sledgeross said | March 30th 2012 @ 9:41am | Report comment
Thats true Scott, he couldnt even get a start at Wenty!
I dont mind Aussies playing for other countries at the WC as long as there is long term growth in those minnow nations. Ideally in 20 years time you will have enough depth to at least field a majority of home grown players.
This isnt necessarily a rugby league issue as well. You8 do see it in other international sports like Rugby and cricket as well. I think England cricket had something like 6 foriegn born players in their test team last year, and smaller countries in world rugby do field a handful of overseas born residents to strengthen their squad.
March 30th 2012 @ 9:49am
ScottWoodward.me said | March 30th 2012 @ 9:49am | Report comment
sledge
It is true that it applies to all sports, but Origin should not prevent a kid playing for his proud country.
March 30th 2012 @ 9:48am
oikee said | March 30th 2012 @ 9:48am | Report comment
Mal is doing a good job for Queensland. It is up to other countries other nations to do the same for their youth and players.
Their must be other good youngsters out their, because Mal has found 1 is no reason to come down on him.
NZ is not short of monsters, that centre Hurrel is going to be a ripper, and they have plenty more where he came from.
I think Australia will be like the Wallabies if we dont stay on top of things. We will be begging for the crumbs.
Samoa has just started a excellence program for league players at the age of 14-16. We have Fiji waking up to the fact that their players are good at rugby league.
It wont be long before they are flooding the market and the only positions available will be for the smaller nations.
That Rocolatte youngster for the Roosters, he is the tip of a iceburg i feel for Fiji, they have huge amount of talent.
March 30th 2012 @ 9:53am
ScottWoodward.me said | March 30th 2012 @ 9:53am | Report comment
oikee,
I think you will find that the Roosters Mogo is better than Hurrell as he has real skill. Hurrell is dynamic but he just grabs the ball and charges in a straight line. Not sure if he can maintain that in first grade.
March 30th 2012 @ 11:09am
oikee said | March 30th 2012 @ 11:09am | Report comment
And the young Rocolatti kid, have you seen him yet, he will be another good find, i think he is more like Ferguson at the Raiders who i think is just a natural talent.
Same as Dugan.
Anyhow, the future looks bright, and we seem to have plenty of new talent coming through, so maybe it is time we allowed crossovers at international level.
If you miss out for australia, you automatically can apply for Tongo or Fiji, etc.
Why not, they all do it now anyhow. We have to move with the times.
March 30th 2012 @ 1:09pm
ScottWoodward.me said | March 30th 2012 @ 1:09pm | Report comment
oikee
I will get back to u on Rocolatti.
March 30th 2012 @ 11:17am
Toa said | March 30th 2012 @ 11:17am | Report comment
Eligible 3rd & 4th generation of Polynesian decent are prevalent to their adopted country than the origin of birth. This is evident of the of amount of Polynesian born players representing both Kiwis & All Blacks.
It is rare for both Non/ indigenous Kiwi’s to play for NSW/QLD for that matter Australia than it is for Polynesian born NZers. Like Indigenous Kiwis Pacific Islanders are strongly tied to their culture/customs therefore National allegiance for Polynesians is about finding that cultural balance. As long as the geographical status involves opportunities & development you will find more young Polynesians committing to Australia regardless if they have been here 5mths or 25yrs.
New Zealanders like every other immigrant have access to those benefits which undoubtedly never gets taken for granted. For Non/Indigenous Kiwi’s it’s symbolic to play against Australia due to culture, business & sporting rivalry which has been around well before Polynesian settlement.
Clarification regarding allegiance must be made clear at pre-devolpment level. Australian State, club & schools dedicate a fair amount of resources to players of interest its only fair they benefit the returns.
March 30th 2012 @ 1:11pm
ScottWoodward.me said | March 30th 2012 @ 1:11pm | Report comment
Toa
Very technical, I am not sure it has to be that difficult.
March 30th 2012 @ 11:33am
Renegade said | March 30th 2012 @ 11:33am | Report comment
Scott,
Totally agree it’s a complete joke….how are the developing nations ever going to compete when this crap is going on?
March 30th 2012 @ 1:13pm
ScottWoodward.me said | March 30th 2012 @ 1:13pm | Report comment
Renegade
The cash is in club and Origin footy so that is where the focus is, but that doesnt make it right.
March 30th 2012 @ 11:38am
King of the Gorgonites said | March 30th 2012 @ 11:38am | Report comment
Qualifcatino rules are a joke. Look at the Irish or Socttish RL teams at the 2008. There werent to many accents in that bunch, excpet for the tang of an accent from the western suburbs of sydney.
The fact there can not be a global showpiece for a code in which there are more that one professional club in only 2 countries.
March 30th 2012 @ 12:15pm
League fan said | March 30th 2012 @ 12:15pm | Report comment
That is rubbish KOG the majority of the Irish and Scottish squads were picked from their local domestic competions as well as a few players that were playing in the English super league. I thought they did really well too. Ireland thrashed Samoa which were full of proffesional NRL and Superleague players.
It does not matter if only two countries have more than one pro team. Does this mean the RWC should exclude Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Argentina, USA, Canada because they dont have proffessional teams ofcourse not.
March 30th 2012 @ 2:54pm
The Bush said | March 30th 2012 @ 2:54pm | Report comment
“That is rubbish KOG the majority of the Irish and Scottish squads were picked from their local domestic competions as well as a few players that were playing in the English super league. I thought they did really well too. Ireland thrashed Samoa which were full of proffesional NRL and Superleague players.
That’s just wrong.
Ireland Squad 2008 World Cup (place of birth):
Ryan Tandy (Australia)
Pat Richards (Australia)
Micheal Platt (England)
Eamon O’Carroll (England)
Shayne McMenemy (Ausralia_)
Michael Mcllorum (England)
Stuart Littler (England)
Wayne Kerr (Ireland)
Graham Holroyd (England)
Ben Harrison (England)
Gareth Haggerty (England)
Brendan Guilfoyle (Ireland)
Sean Gleeson (England)
Stevie Gibbons (Ireland)
Karl Fitzpatrick (England)
Simon Finnigan (England)
Liam Finn (?)
Lee Doran (England)
Ged Corcoran (Ireland)
Mick Cassidy (England)
Damien Blanch (Australia)
Bob Beswick (England)
Ross Barbour (Ireland)
Scott Grix (England)
So out of twenty-four (24) players, five (5) were born in Ireland only only two (2) of those players played in Irelands domestic competition.
I’m neither against it or for it and would prefer the best possible world cup with as many good players playing as possible. But let’s not kid ourselves, Ireland’s team was about as Irish as I am…
March 30th 2012 @ 3:13pm
Ian Whitchurch said | March 30th 2012 @ 3:13pm | Report comment
The Bush said
“only two (2) of those players played in Irelands domestic competition. ”
Just because rugby union has been blackballing men for making a living for more than a hundred years doesnt mean anyone else should.
Go, make your living *and* play for your country when they call – its only rugby union that make you choose between playing for your country and providing for your retirement.
March 30th 2012 @ 3:32pm
The Bush said | March 30th 2012 @ 3:32pm | Report comment
Ian,
I haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about. In fact, I cannot see where I’ve mentioned rugby union, blackballing men or anything else you’ve talked about. I simply responded to League fan by pointing out that their statement …
the majority of the Irish and Scottish squads were picked from their local domestic competions as well as a few players that were playing in the English super league. I thought they did really well too. Ireland thrashed Samoa which were full of proffesional NRL and Superleague players.
…was simply wrong.
If you have anything to add to that – I’m all ears. Otherwise I’ll consider the discussion over…
March 30th 2012 @ 12:17pm
Jaceman said | March 30th 2012 @ 12:17pm | Report comment
Who can forget Tonie Carroll playing for Qld/Australia then NZ then Qld/Australia again. The soccer rugby rule is place of birth or 3 year residential qualification to swap countries or citizenship I think (ie genuine immigrant – Rathbone). To be fair KOGS, I dont think Byrne from Rebels has a Russian accent (although ancestry) but it should rule him out of playing for the Wallabies…I dont mind Sydney first graders playing for croatia either..
March 30th 2012 @ 12:34pm
Robbo said | March 30th 2012 @ 12:34pm | Report comment
The eligibility laws in most sports are a bit of a farce. Anybody who saw the Japanese rugby team or the Canadian cricket I am sure will agree.
March 30th 2012 @ 12:35pm
King of the Gorgonites said | March 30th 2012 @ 12:35pm | Report comment
But Byrnes was the only one in the russian team like that. The rest were all russian born and bred.
March 30th 2012 @ 12:38pm
Jaceman said | March 30th 2012 @ 12:38pm | Report comment
true its not full of Sydney park players which will be the lot of the US NRL team in the WC…
March 30th 2012 @ 1:13pm
JVGO said | March 30th 2012 @ 1:13pm | Report comment
KOG, there are plenty of Wallabies born overseas I believe. Pocock, Genia, JOC, cooper, Ioane….in fact it’s hard to find one that was born in Australia. It wouldn’t be much of a side without these guys. If this kid moved here at 13 or 15 years old with his family I don’t have a problem with him representing Australia or Queensland. It’s his home and it’s his choice. The Inglis case is entirely different, as is Mat Rogers etc.
The WC issue is a developmental one. As long as there is a mix between locals and Aussies of heritage, if it builds cutural bridges and relationships and assists long term develpoment in the minnow nations than it is defensible. none of these teams are serious threats to win the thing anyway.
March 30th 2012 @ 12:40pm
Go warriors said | March 30th 2012 @ 12:40pm | Report comment
The fact there can not be a global showpiece for a code in which there are more that one professional club in only 2 countries.
Correct me if I am wrong but didnt one of those countries that only had one proffessional club win the last RL world cup.
March 30th 2012 @ 1:14pm
ScottWoodward.me said | March 30th 2012 @ 1:14pm | Report comment
King
Even England stole some of our guys last year.
March 30th 2012 @ 2:21pm
Ian Whitchurch said | March 30th 2012 @ 2:21pm | Report comment
Absolutely. Patricio Noriega should never have been allowed to play for Australia – he’s Argentinian.
Oh, sorry wrong code, and useless troll king is useless.
March 30th 2012 @ 3:23pm
Nigel said | March 30th 2012 @ 3:23pm | Report comment
Kogs rugby might be global (very debateable) However in 95% of the world it is a very niech sport just like it is in Australia.
March 30th 2012 @ 12:20pm
bjt said | March 30th 2012 @ 12:20pm | Report comment
Why would anyone turn down Origin if they had the chance? It’s the pinnacle of the rugby league and the top sports spectacle of Australia. Yes, it is restricted to QLD v NSW, and so it should be and should never be changed. That’s the formula that got origin to where it is today, and rugby league should be thanking it everyday. The boast it gives and has given the sport of rugby league is immeasurable. It absolutely bewilders me why anyone would ever want to tamper with something so perfect and successful. But then I remember that part of Rugby league, it worst characteristic, the short sightedness of its administrators. Really they lucked out with Origin, but what does everyone want to do? Strangle the golden goose of course. We have to stop taking it for granted!
These administrators are the people to blame for the poor international standing of the game, because they’ve had their opportunities and poorly executed them. The world cup stated in 1954 and what does rugby league have to show for all those years? Not much… really very little and it can now be easily used as a negative to the game. I believe it all flows down to the “National” game in Australia, as Australia is the leader of Rugby League, but fails to lead by example. Until we get our game in order how can we seriously expect the world to follow? If someone can sneak in to an origin side, let them. If you want people to choose their country, make the game more attractive for them to do so. How to do that it pretty easy, get people with real vision to run the domestic level comp (“NRL”) in Australia, make it a true NATIONAL sport of Australia, rather than a masquerading Sydney comp and understand that they hold the fundamental life of International Rugby League in their hands. Hopefully someone special will come along and create something special for the international game, like want happened in 1980 for the domestic game.
March 30th 2012 @ 1:18pm
ScottWoodward.me said | March 30th 2012 @ 1:18pm | Report comment
bjt
I think the dye is cast. Cant see the structure changing too much.
There will always be interst in Aust v Eng or NZ but not like NSW v Qld or even the Broncos v the Dragons tonight.
March 30th 2012 @ 8:32pm
bjt said | March 30th 2012 @ 8:32pm | Report comment
Nothing is set in stone, there’s always opportunity for growth and league has to grow. If that’s not the goal, we might as well pack up in NZ and Victoria and go back to separate Brisbane and Sydney comps.
Compare league to AFL. We have been gifted an international level, albeit not a strong one, but international nevertheless. The AFL would kill for this, and I have no doubt that in my life time I’ll see a club start up somewhere outside of Oz. League on the other hand gave up, over ten years ago, coverage and development of league across Australia, with the culling of Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane 2 and the Gold Coast, solely to meet the needs of some noisy men and their dying Sydney clubs. Where have we grown since? A RE-addition of Gold Coast, probably just to get rid of the dreadful bye, and now it’s about to meets it’s end once again… why its end, once again poor administration of league from the NRL and Titans, and those noisy Sydney men crying “what about us?” Where does league have to grow? Where we were over 10 years ago.
AFL on the other hand have pushed their way into NSW and QLD with the sole intentions to capturing new markets and growing its sport, and I ensure you their goal is become the true national sport of Australia, something I am afraid they’re getting to close to. I live in Brisbane and when I turn on the TV from Friday to Sunday, what do I see? AFL live. In Brisbane, the true league heartland, more AFL on TV then league. Embarrassed, anger, envy, defeated acceptance of my sports pathetic administrators, are just some of the feeling that swell up. If AFL had the international opportunities of league, they would not be wasted.
But, once again, league has been gifted the international element and it’s up to people in charge in Australia to grow it, but as I said its tough to invest in somewhere like Samoa, when we don’t have a team in Western Australia, and we can’t support a team like Gold Coast (or let them get to the position they’re in). Regardless, State of Origin has nothing to do with International league, it’s the state of Queensland vs the state of New South Wales and must remain untouched.
March 30th 2012 @ 12:29pm
Stevie said | March 30th 2012 @ 12:29pm | Report comment
Good article Scott I thinks there needs to be more of an incentive for the pacific players to play for their own countries. For the good of the game international RL needs other countries to be competitive. If Australia just continue to smash teams RL will never grow. I would love to see a combined pacific team that competes in the four nations with ENG, Australia and NZ. They would have a dynamic team and would be very competive.
March 30th 2012 @ 1:19pm
ScottWoodward.me said | March 30th 2012 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
Stevie
It would weaken NZ tho which wud grow the gap from Aust
March 30th 2012 @ 3:50pm
Go warriors said | March 30th 2012 @ 3:50pm | Report comment
I doubt it would weaken NZ that much. Have you not seen the quality coming out of NZ in the last few years. 3 NZ teams in the grand final last year.
March 30th 2012 @ 3:45pm
Jaceman said | March 30th 2012 @ 3:45pm | Report comment
The combined Pacific team in Rugby didnt work because of inter-island rivalries and maybe too because most of the best island players are in Europe so good luck..
March 30th 2012 @ 12:43pm
Jaceman said | March 30th 2012 @ 12:43pm | Report comment
BJT
Good point its a double edged sword though – if Victoria or WA start producing a lot of RL players where do they go?? As the AFL found out having more than 2 AFL states meant the SOO concept was less appealing than the NRL equivalent so it would be ironic if the national spread of the game grew at the expense of the showpiece. In any case NSW better start winning games or the showpiece may wane slightly which may indeed bring back the focus on the club competition…
March 30th 2012 @ 1:21pm
ScottWoodward.me said | March 30th 2012 @ 1:21pm | Report comment
Jacemen
NSW not winning has no impact on the interst, in fact it probably helps as QLd are considered the weak state.
April 1st 2012 @ 2:40am
bjt said | April 1st 2012 @ 2:40am | Report comment
In my opinion, the term “State of Origin” has now become more of an idiom in the Australian vocabulary, simply and singularly meaning QLD versus NSW. This is opposed to actual states of Australia playing against each other in any sport. This term was used by the ALF in their failed state based representative version, and regardless of whoever coined the term, after 31 years of continued success in league, the term is well and truly entrenched and owned by the sport of rugby league. It is the battle of QLD vs NSW.
The question of why it failed for the AFL is written in the history books, but to why to this day they still keep the concept in the basement is beyond me, being their only real option for representation, apart from their Frankenstein sport they play with the Irish.
But as I’ve stated previously, State of Origin is not to be touched. It in no way should be diluted with other states, and for the love of god not destroyed by the inclusion of New Zealand. Phil Gould and his other channel 9 lackeys will just have to live with the fact that Benji Marshall does not get to play in the premium event of Rugby League.
Regardless, Origin works and there is no reason to change it. But that doesn’t mean we cannot add to the sport of rugby league. There is no reason why there couldn’t be an end of the year competition between all 8 regions of Australia, plus NZ and PNG. It’s up to the administrators to think of and try new ideas, and just take a few risks, and see what happens, just don’t destroy what works.
March 30th 2012 @ 12:52pm
Justin said | March 30th 2012 @ 12:52pm | Report comment
So this guy has been living in AUS for 5 years. Whats the issue?
March 30th 2012 @ 1:24pm
ScottWoodward.me said | March 30th 2012 @ 1:24pm | Report comment
Justin
Even tho he played for NZ as a junior in 2010 and 11, he played his first senior footy in Qld, so that makes him eligable under the rules to play for the Maroons and also Australia.
There is no issue, just a set of rules that is killing International footy.
March 30th 2012 @ 1:39pm
Justin said | March 30th 2012 @ 1:39pm | Report comment
Australia is a country that attracts 1000s of immigrants, particularly from NZ and the Islands. What is the solution though? Do we ban them from playing for the country they may have been living in for 10+ years? What if they are citizens of their new country?
Its a difficult subject…