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James Tamou should be playing for New Zealand in the test match this Friday. However, he should be playing for the Blues as well.
The declarations for different countries in league has long been a farce. The current eligibility rules have resulted in Australia dominating the international league scene, and will continue to do so.
This is because the rules allow for a situation where players are choosing state over nation.
I watched the interview on Fox Sports News where Tamou declared through his Kiwi accent that he wanted to play for Australia, as he started his serious football career over here.
His view of the world was clearly through blue-coloured glasses, not through green-and-gold coloured specs.
The idea that a player should be forced to choose between playing for the country of his heritage, or the state he moved to and grew up in should not exist. Players should be allowed to do both.
My proposal to fix this is simple. Country of birth is strictly your country of eligibility. A player’s state allegiance as a junior footballer should strictly be his state of origin, with international football not related in this decision.
In practice, this is how it would play out in relation to Tamou.
Tamou was born in New Zealand and lived there until he was thirteen. He then moved to Australia where he played junior football for Paddo Tigers.
His New Zealand heritage would not be discarded, and he would not be allowed to play for Australia. However, he would still be eligible for New South Wales in State of Origin, due to where he played his junior football.
This system has many positives in the long term.
State of Origin, which is viewed as the pinnacle of rugby league for its toughness, skill, and speed, gains more key players to increase the quality of the game. Benji Marshall played junior football on the Gold Coast making him eligible for Origin selection. No one can deny that his skills would expand the game’s ability to be a showcase event.
International league would be the big winner of the eligibility rule change. Imagine world cups where players aren’t switching to the dominant league nations, but where they play for their country of heritage.
Australia, New Zealand and England wouldn’t be the only teams with the strong calibre of players necessary to win. The island teams, where so many league players originate, would become dominate forces within the game, allowing international league to become a spectacle rather than a laughing stock of fifty point victories.
On Friday, we will see James Tamou, having arrived home and scanned his New Zealand passport to get through customs, run onto the field to play against his fellow countrymen. He will not be doing this because he is playing in the jersey he covets, rather doing so merely as a means of reaching that sky blue jersey.
In order to strengthen both Origin and international league, let’s take the need for individual decisions away and make it clear cut.
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