NSW has Queensland, Great Britain has the Exiles versus England, and it’s time for New Zealand to be given its own Origin series.
I’m reacting to the news in yesterday’s paper that Bulldogs prop Sam Kasiano is set to be given an Origin debut for Queensland. It’s not surprising that the Maroons want him; Kasiano has been in career-best form this year and has helped the Dogs to second place on the NRL ladder.
He is the heaviest man in the competition but his speed and off-loading capability has helped him carve up defences in 2012. Dessie Hasler has turned the big unit into a machine, and Kasiano looks built for the ferocious Origin cauldron.
The thing is, he was born in Auckland and raised in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Kasiano started playing league in NZ and moved to Brisbane as a teenager. The 21-year is as Queensland as cane toads and Chris Johns.
Just as NSW’s capture of Kiwi James Tamou is a disgrace, this would be another bad move for rugby league. Queensland, and Australia have props and forwards in abundance – why do they need to steal more from the Kiwis?
According to The Sun-Herald, Kasiano will get a call-up because Dave Taylor’s form has slipped. What message does that send to players like emerging Broncos prop Josh McGuire? Thanks, but no thanks?
Both states and the Australian team have players coming out of their ears. They don’t need to poach Kiwis to beef up our ranks – we’re not the Wallabies.
Keeping New Zealand strong is key to keeping international league alive. Great Britain is already pretty weak, do we want a weak New Zealand as well?
Kasiano has yet to declare if he will accept Queensland’s overtures, and it is easy to understand if he did. Earn more money, play with arguably the best team rugby league has ever seen and experience the toughest arena the sport can offer – who wouldn’t want to be a part of it?
But his birthplace, nationality and rugby league schooling in another country should ensure that he isn’t.
As I’ve said before, the eligibility rules for Origin need to be tightened (which is happening) and enforced so that both the Blues and Maroons don’t take the piss anywhere. Warehousing players is not needed.
Higher payments to representative players, to countries like New Zealand, Fiji and Samoa, need to be made to ensure these nations field their best teams possible. What’s the point of holding the Rugby League World Cup next year if these and other countries miss out on their stars and offer no competition?
We need a Kiwi Origin concept, an Auckland vs the rest of NZ or a North vs South Island fixture, to encourage Kiwi players to stay aligned to their homeland. Pay them a decent wage and build it as an annual event.
This kind of series would not only boost the sport in a rugby-mad country, it would improve the standard of New Zealand rugby league and expose more players to the chance of NRL football.
Don’t weaken international league and New Zealand just to oh-so slightly boost Queensland and NSW’s chances of victory in one game. We need both a strong Origin series AND a strong international scene – not one or the other. No one really wins when non-New South Welshmen and non-Queenslanders participate in the Origin arena at the expensive of smaller countires.
Rugby league needs to decide if it wants both high-quality Origin and international footy – if the current trends continue, we won’t have both, and that would be a huge mistake.
CoreyRosser
Roar Rookie
The Commission could top up payments to make them more attractive to players. A magazine here in New Zealand did a big spread on NZ Origin, with two proposed teams. Auckland looks very strong, but the rest is a good side also, with the likes of Benji Marshall, Issac Luke, Adam Blair, Lewis Brown etc.
John Davidson
Roar Guru
No turbodewd, Im from NSW.
turbodewd
Guest
John, are you a kiwi?! If the kiwis want their own Origin they will organise it. You cant force it upon then from over the Tasman. They have their own brains, if they think its a great idea they will organise it. But the idea isnt a good idea, its a fizzer. It wont rate nor will it gather mega crowds. I mean if Aus almost always beats NZ fairly easily, why would we want to see the kiwis stage an intra-NZ game?! Sorry...impractical idea which the fans wont buy.
peeeko
Roar Guru
why dont they play true blue kiwis versus ex pat kiwis?
peeeko
Roar Guru
how about Brent Webb? he stopped in Auckland for a few years and ended up playing fr the Kiwis? personally i am not a believer in the concept that you can play for a country because your parents are from there. if they want to be kiwis then go back there, if you want to be Australian then stay. sure you can be proud f your NZ heritage but you are born and choose to live in AUstralia then you should represent Australia
D Maaga
Guest
why? so we can watch3 SOO and rugby league games all year. no thanks i like both games.
Col Quinn
Guest
About time the rest of NZ switched to RL.
Big_Marn2000
Roar Pro
"The NRL will be the best rugby league comp on the planet bar none." The NRL already is the best rugby league comp on the planet, bar none .....
Big_Marn2000
Roar Pro
All the Aussie born players in the NZ team have Kiwi parents (except Nathan Fien). Tamou and Kasiano don't have Aussie parents. They weren't born here, they've both spent the majority of their years in NZ and they both talk like Kiwis. What was it that Nathan Brown said about Rangi Chase being selected for England? "If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck". That also applies to Kasiano and Tamou.
chris
Guest
If there was only one Rugby code then the problem would be solved as you would have a tran-tasman club comp with grandfinal then have a SOO comp with NSW v QLD and North Island v South Island and then Bledisloe Cup.
Jaceman
Guest
North Island would thrash South Island at RL otherwise they would have done it already. The English are taking that broncos centre and hethington so it is really a moot call about where people play.....But once they have made the call they shoulds tick to it eg Tonie Carroll playing for both - Tamou pledging for NZ then reneging...
Sylvester
Guest
Peeeko, Tamou was selected for the Kiwis last year. Doesn't sound like the actions of a person who believes himself to be Australian. I have no issue with NZ-born, Australian-raised players turning out for Origin if their motivation has always been to play for their adopted country.
Bring Back the Bears
Guest
I like the idea of having a three week break in the middle of the season for Origin games, keep origin on Wednesdays but have them playing on back to back weeks. This would open up the opportunity to have an North vs South Island game as well. If the kick-offs are both at 8pm the NZ game would work nicely as a curtain raiser due to the time difference. The three week break would also mean that each club team get equal round byes and there would be no inequality or unfair advantage. I wasn't aware there was a pac cup until now but I like that idea and it would also fit nicely in the mid-season rep break, creates a nice interlude from club footy and would help expand the game.
Drew
Guest
Good call - I said the same thing in another thread. Need to throw some money into the Pacific Cup and sync with Origin, pronto!
Rudegar
Guest
I'd rather see a NZ vz Pacifica series; I think that would be more commercially attractive and would also encourage players eligible for Pacific nations to declare for them, strengthening the Pacific nations for World Cups and other tournaments. Whether it is NZ v Paciicia or NZ Origin, the key is that player payments must be the same as for State of Origin. This means it needs to be funded by the ARLC (possible using Origin revenues) and not by the NZRL or RLIF, both of which don't have that kind of cash. Neutralise the financial incentive and set up meaningful mid year games for these nations and we should get closer to what we all want - players playing in the jumper they are most passionate about.
steve b
Roar Guru
John good article i think you have nailed it on all points ,,good read..
Andy
Guest
If New Zealand had their own origin would people be ok with losing their clubs NZ players for 3 weeks.
Mum Tuakeu
Guest
So not worth doing Origin in NZ. I get that we dnt want to loose our kiwi born players to the ARL or wateva you call it. Look! If NZ cant get another NRL team into the comp because of financial situations then what make u think that they can afford to do ORIGIN in NZ. Can they afford to pay each players??? Look how much the ARL is paying each players each game. No wonder why these NZ born league stars are taking up offers from them. I dont mind Origin happening here too but Im happy just watching these NZ bornz getting picked to play ORIGIN. It a privledged to play for either the Blues or Maroons. Let concentrate on our own league team the mighty WARRIORS.
jamesb
Guest
John Davidson and Rodney McDonell, I agree with both of you. We need a NZ Origin series. The depth of talent in NZ nowadays is the best that it's ever been. Having a NZ origin series, would most certainly prevent kiwi born players playing in SOO. Also you have stand alone weekends, where it doesn't affect the NRL comp NZ origin series not only protects the international game, but it also protects the NRL from having matches played without origin players. Whilst its noble to think about the Pacific Cup, I don't know if the interest would be there. Maybe for the rest of the stand alone weekends you could have a sevens tournament filled with young players, or have another rep game. The commission needs to protect the NRL comp and the international game. If Sam Kasiano plays for QLD, calls for NZ Origin will grow louder and LOUDER
Johnno
Guest
-Super league tried that in the 1997 tri'-series. -It was an interesting concept but ultimately the NZ matches felt meaningless or like a tour match , as you knew it was state vs country. And then watching them back up to play Australia just made it all feel weird. -NZ had the chance to join Australia way back when federation happened in Australia in 1901, but did not. -And this brings all those concepts back federation type issues. NZ is not a state or territory of Australia it is an independent nation, and should stay that way. -Just as Europe is Europe the continent not one big country, hence Euro 2012 soccer. yes they have a euro dollar or currency but they are still sovereign nations despite the euro having major influence over many nations that joined the euro,. -Rugby used to have the old super 10's in the amateur days in the 90's before the super 15, and Fiji participated but times were different then. Pacific island nations like Fiji , or samoa, ,or tonga if they were to have a super 15 franchise, would not enter as say fiji for example, they would enter as Suva or just a franchise name such as the sharks. -And great britian have split there team up for the better long term for international league to. -And i would be strongly against a combined pacific island team in rugby league too, these are sovereign nations . West indies still do it, and i think the west indies won't last long term because they are all different nations. -Birtish and irish lions rugby only join up for 1 tour every 4 years that is it. -And with the west indies point , in soccer it would be unthinkable for Barbados, Jamiaca, Trinadad and Tobago, to merge and play as west indies, the fans would never support it, and in cricket i don't think for the same reason it can survive . -They like the pacific islands are independent nations with there own cultures. -And same with Aust/NZ there not an ANZAC team they are 2 separate nations,. And NSW and QLD are states and belong in state or provincial footy not international test match footy. -I mean what's next should europe merge as 1 team in sport, or USA/Canada merge, or India/Pakistan/Bangledesh re-merge as 1 nation again of course not. -And same in sport so this concept if NZ enter state of origin i think would just harm state of origin as a brand if not kill it of as a concept altogether.