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The Samoan train-on squad, announced today for the World Cup, pricked attention for a couple of reasons: it’s chock-full of NRL players for one, but it’s the selections of a few players in particular which have people asking questions.
Former Australian Kangaroos representative Reni Maitua has been named alongside junior QLD representative Anthony Milford and the Wests Tigers centre Tim Simona. Just last week, Simona was also named in the New Zealand train-on squad.
If Simona pulls on the black jersey, he will be ineligible to ever play Origin, while if he or Milford opts to play for Samoa, who knows what the future may hold for the rising stars.
It’s a hot topic around Origin time and is threatening to rear it’s head again during the Rugby League World Cup later this year – are loose eligibility laws hurting the game of Rugby league?
Already the Sims brothers have committed to playing for Fiji, much like Jarryd Hayne did in 2008. And with the likes of former NSW Origin players Anthony Minichiello and Anthony Laffranchi due to run out for the Azzurri, it needs to be asked where the line needs to be drawn.
Allowing NRL stars to switch allegiance and play for second tier nations in the tournament is sure to boost the level of competition throughout the tournament. It also affords said players the opportunity to proudly pay homage to their cultural ancestors.
While these are both good things, the real issues lie in the knock-on effects to local competitions and their players far beyond the periphery of the Australian borders.
The players missing out on being selected in the squad due to presence of the ring-ins are the big losers out of all of this. They may have grown up idolizing the play of some of these players within the NRL, but not rewarding their loyalty and efforts to the national program will hurt them in many ways.
Earning representative honours is a sure-fire way for a player to accrue higher earnings. It also carries with it prestige and profile which can help to garner further interest in the performances and the fortunes of the team. By removing the opportunity for locally reared players to play for their home nations, the global league economy is being hurt.
Picture this – in a blow-out game between Australia and Fiji, one of the Fijian players puts a massive hit on an Aussie which makes the highlight reels. If it’s made by one of the Sims brothers, it’s a good shot, but if a local Fijian player makes it, then suddenly it has the opportunity to become folklore and potentially inspire the next generation of talent.
While in the short term more competitive match ups and NRL players in second tier teams may increase the spectacle of the World Cup itself, in the long term allowing local athletes to develop and gain experience from major tournaments is better for the greater good of the game.
In terms of switching allegiances, there is no easy answer to this complex problem which has been highlighted in the media for years.
My views are that players should nominate their nationality (and state of origin) upon their first standard player contract they sign, which for some players can be as young as 16. This would help in removing the controversy around the topic, and also ensuring the second tier nations can protect more places in their squads for locally grown talent.
Honour and pride are all the ring-ins have to play for, and while these are two valid reasons, for loyalists who have earned the right to represent their country through domestic competitions, there is much more at stake.
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