Uate's choice will hurt the international game

What would be the point, mtngry? These emerging sides will produce a rare player of outstanding quality only for Aust/NZ (more likely Aust) to pinch them. If Uate is allowed to switch sides, this could have all sorts of ramifications for international RL in this neck of the woods

As long as their is only the money and prestige in internationals at the 4 nations level, why wouldn't you want to play where the money and competition is? I think the best solution is more international rugby, with well payed and respected competition, representing emerging nations will be more palatable.

so which team would burgess play for?

Why is he only eligible to play for NSW?

It sounds like you're saying that Jarrod Hayne should not have been allowed to play for NSW after he played for Fiji in the RLWC? Or Michael Jennings (Tonga)?

Shame really, It was bad enough that all our good players got poached by NZ and Australia in rugby union, now they are doing the same in league....how are the pacific island teams like fiji, Samoa, tonga, cook islands, PNG supposed to grow if all our players are forced to play for NZ/OZ . League players do get paid more than union players but forcing a players to forego his allegiance to his country of birth so that he could play in an origin series is downright stupid....Uate is a good example of a player that was brought up in australia and thus should be eligible for origins without getting rid of his allegiance to a country that gave him a chance to show his worth in the biggest competition of all..I'm strongly against this decision by ARL cause if this goes through, this will open a whole new door which will slowly engulf the poor pacific league playing countries who will no longer be able to compete against the big 3 because they no longer have all their best players who have left because they chose money over country. This will pretty much kill league in the pacific cause this will allow other top players in the pacific region to drop their allegiance to their island for a chance to play in the origin series.....

NZ are at just as a great a risk as the likes of Fiji and Samoa, probably moreso. More and more there is pressure on talented young Kiwis to chose between Origin and Test footy for NZ. Benji and Sonny Bill could easily have been lost to the Kangaroos. It was personally galling to see Karmichael Hunt turn out in tests against NZ, and I see also that Ben Te'o may do likewise by pledging allegiance to QLD. Equally, the cappings of Fien and Webb didn't sit well with me, but it's easy to get sucked in when the talent pool is limited.

Yes Hutch, it must come down to a players choice. If Australia, NZ and England pumped a bit of $ into the smaller nations so they could pay them a decent wage for an International game, then I am sure more would choost to play where their heart lays. That would boost the numbers in those nations playing Rugby League and after a while those nations would be self supportive. International Rugby League as a whole is run like many clubs I see; concentrating only on the current season and never building a soilid base to grow and always be strong.

I agree. A real dumb idea. Sorry Oikee. We already have the All Stars v Indigenous game.

Lots of good ideas come from the yanks. Look at commissions and all-star indigernous game which included the big pom Burgess and kiwis. You need to keep moving forward, keeping origin like it is will simply kill the game off.

so would you be happy mitch if for example, the 17 players who run out for nsw next year all represent other countries?

i strongly disagree. if a player plays for a national team then it is a committment, not something you do when you miss out on australia or nz. your idea will see us with 8 teams of australians pretending to be internatioanal test teams! lets get serious about international rugby league and actually develop these national teams, not throw them together at the last minute after australia has finalised its squad!

uate simply should not be eligible for nsw. he is a current fijian test player, origin is for australian test players. allowing a player to play for nsw and qld and for another country is not the answer. while it is probably better than the current rules, it is not the solution to improving our international game, it is a quick fix and ignores actual development of rugby league in other nations. we need to give players with dual nationalities a fairer choice in choosing their allegiance for test rugby league. australia has its origin series which is a huge drawcard for these players, not that all players choose origin over playing for a heritage nation (eg. nathan cayless). there should be tests and tournaments for other nations also during this period for other nations. for eg, nz origin, nz v pac islands, pac cup, samoa v tonga, png v fiji etc. if they choose origin and australia, so be it, it is their right. if they choose another nation, then it is great for the international gam,. but they must make a choice! the rules as they stand are an absolute joke and makes our sport look amateurish!

it is a joke, it is the biggest issue holding us back internationally. playing for a country is a commitment, not something you do when you miss out on another country. it should be one country for life, or you should have to stand down for 5 years before switching. this picking and choosing every couple of years is a farce.

I don't really want to see Benji, Burgess or SBW playing state of origin. It may add to the spectacle but dilutes the meaning, context and passion. Only Australia, NZ and England can be classed as tier 1 test playing nations. France and PNG aren't anywhere near the pace. I reckon they need to tighten up the qualifications for the NZ, Oz and Eng to avoid players electing who they will play for or switching between the two. Situations like Fien playing for NZ, Tonie Carroll switching between Oz and NZ and Heighington playing for England / GB. Who cares if he has English grandparents - he's clearly an Australian player ? I think these cases are a bad look for international league. Conversely they need to relax the rules for the 2nd tier teams so someone like Uate can qualify for Origin and to play for Oz if good enough but can still turn out for Fiji if he doesn't make the cut. A Nigel Vagana could play for NZ but then represent Samoa if he didn't make NZ. NRL players involvement with the tier 2 teams can only be of benefit for the teams and from all reports Hayne playing with Fiji in the 08 WC was a good experience for him. I suspect that player payments may become an issue though - would the 2010 version of Hayne turn out for Fiji for nix if he didn't make the Oz side and would Parra want to risk him ?

What do u expect from someone who was born and rasied in NSW. He is more Australian then fijian.

Terrible idea oikee, Then it's not SOO it's just a US-style "All-Star" game. No thanks.

good call, worth considering.

That old chestnut, dear me...