One of the major controversies with this most recent RLWC has been the eligibility of players to play for multiple nations, being able to switch national allegiances fairly easily.
Some say that this decries from the validity of the tournament as truly international (those people who always paraphrase the ‘world’ in Rugby League World Cup) seeing as every team has drawn players from one competition, the NRL.
Unlike the majority of other sports with ‘world cups’ which forbid such a practice, or at least put heavily obstructive legislation which takes years to fulfil (such as minimum continuous residency requirements), the RLIF has remained very lax on the issue for a variety of reasons.
The most prominent and unique of these is State of Origin. Considered the pinnacle of the sport and arguably the biggest annual event on the rugby league calendar, State of Origin influences the entirety of the sport and its competitions.
In particular its requirement for all participants to dedicate themselves to Australian rugby league has proved destructive and disruptive.
This devastates the rosters of minnow nations (considering English and New Zealand players are ineligible) and gives ARL a considerable talent pool to select from.
The RLIF recognised this and made the process of switching national allegiances fairly easy and simple for those seeking to make themselves available for Origin (switching to Australia) and those who wish to support a minnow nation.
This seemed like a reasonable solution, however this freedom has led to mixed results.
It has led to the increased competitiveness of minnow nations through stars like Petero Civoniceva and Akuila Uate being able to both represent their state and nation.
The standards of play have been rising dramatically from World Cup to World Cup from returning teams, with a much larger talent pool to potentially fish from.
However these changes have also facilitated a greater ease for representatives of minnow nations to align themselves to Australia in particular.
Players like Robbie Farah and James Tamou originally represented other nations (Lebanon and New Zealand maori respectively) but after pledging themselves to Australia to play for NSW they then went on the represent the Australian national side.
These SOO laws are set by the ARL, and, funnily enough, in the long run are very beneficial for Australian rugby league to the detriment of practically every other nation.
With the examples of Robbie Farah and James Tamou its clear that both minnows and majors are drained by the lure of SOO. What a coincidence, eh?
Before international eligibility can be tightened, SOO eligibility must be loosened.
Some may chuckle considering the already ‘lax’ approach to eligibility that currently exists (cough cough GI cough cough James McManus).
However the requirement that all participants be aligned to Australian rugby league is excessive considering the pre-existing requirements that one originally resided from a place.
The series is called State of Origin, it’s not about your current home or occupation , but rather where you came from. Your roots.
This is probably the most threatening condition to the growth of international rugby league.
Of course there are other causes for concern, such as a barren international roster with minnows rarely engaged and therefore not needing to actively search out talent.
The laxness of the current eligibility rules is also a considerable detriment, as with the rules as they are its a lottery draw to see which players who played for you last World Cup will dedicate themselves to you again or pledge themselves to higher calling.
However the first step to addressing any of these problems, is to de-nationalise SOO.
With SOO de-nationalised, contests between smaller nations can take place more frequently as their rosters will be stabilised due to the more clarified eligibility criteria.
Nick
Guest
Why don't England and NZ rl get off their arse and make their own 'state of origin' tournament. A foreigner playing SOS is disrespectful to every supporter born and raised supporting the two states.
cowelly
Guest
Yeah, good point.
Casper
Guest
No way we relax origin eligibility, i don't want kiwi's involved, leave that to the international arena. Sounds like a beat up by desparate NSW supporters to get a Foran or the like in their side. If you don't get the concept behind origin (nsw poker machine money used to lure Qld players to sydney clubs & send them back as blues in the interstate arena) don't comment. I lived through enough years of players like artie belting their own state to never forget. If the kiwi's want in, have a curtain raiser with auckland v wellington or something - or just watcjh & enjoy.
Ra
Guest
quite frankly the SOO is boring. Its the Kangaroos trial games. By Aussies 4 Aussies. Exactly how it should be. Pasifika nations should be organising tournament games to coincide with the Aussie trial games so us non Aussies have something for us to barrack about while the tru blu's are gloating over your own sibling rivalry. Simple really eh.
Ra
Guest
this looks like a union v league debate again. none of you guys are talking blood relatives are you ???
Ra
Guest
You are obvious not from any of the Pacific nations Rodney, no blood ties and no mauri. you can't and don't think like us. You think Aussie, you talk Aussie. Like it or not, those kids might be born in Aussie, but their bloodline is Pasifika and Kiwi. Some of us have been exposed to a lot of systemic and peer pressure to change allegiances, and they do, for the money, for the challenge, but for the sake of blood, they go home. Maybe you should concentrate on getting those true blu Ozi kids to play state of origin, if they're good enough to keep the Polynesian out, but really mate, you need to know more about the game and the people - everyone involved knew about the three year residency rule
Ra
Guest
but cowelly that raw talent you talk about is coming from Polynesia
Ra
Guest
did he tell you that cleveland ? did he denounce his Lebonese heritage to you??????
Ra
Guest
Are you a leaguie Rodney ?
Ra
Guest
Steady up deanp, theres a double door here. Take the Kiwis, Poly bros and players of other nations out of NRL and see how great it looks then. Yes our guys develop their skills over in Aus, but they had that talent already in them. You named a few of our kids born or grew up in Aussie who chose to play for the Kiwis and not Aussie. Remember, they are our kids. You talk about Tamou. He was already in the Kiwi playing group. None of our guys were in the Kangaroos squad then jumped ship. He's as Aussie as I am, just a lot bigger, a lot tougher, a lot richer and a lot uglier, but don't tell his mother I said that last bit lol !
Rodney
Roar Pro
Thing is everyone who plays SOO is eligible for Australia (as they have to dedicate themselves to it), they are Australian inherently and the current other guidelines ensure players at least pass through one hoop of Australian eligibility. The current SOO guidelines though force players to dedicate themselves to Australian eligibility, even if they may be eligible to play for other nations. The fact also remains that many players currently running around as Queenslanders and New South Welshmen are questionably Australian (eg. Tamou, Teo), with the ARL not being to picky on actual origin if a player is willing to dedicate themselves to Australia.
Blueberry
Guest
Well of course they're not enforced across codes. Why would they be?
Blueberry
Guest
You can pick out examples like that in both codes, but at least in the Union cases I would stand by the player because they've been forced to weigh the decision and decide that country's jersey means enough to them that they wouldn't play for any other team. In that case they're not mercenaries they're more like immigrants. Residency isn't a problem when you have set loyalties. Three years is often enough to get citizenship proceedings going after all. But being able to switch on and off as in League makes you far more mercenary...
Glenn Innis
Guest
Superstar - Spot on - the idea that you can play for QLD or NSW and then play for another Nation is just absurd it would make a joke of the whole concept (yes I know it has happened with Tonie Carrol but it should never have been permitted) - turn it into a kind of American sports style All Stars game devoid of any real tribalism..Why would anyone want to meddle with the what is by far the biggest show in Rugby League in terms of income generated . public interest etc.
Rob9
Roar Guru
How about the fact that most have spent the majority of their lives in Australia, developing through our pathways and playing for our representative sides. Sure, right now most wouldn't crack an AB's starting XV but don't kid yourself into thinking that moving back to NZ and representing the AB's would have ever been on the radar for any of them bar Harris (who's really lucky to have a Wallaby cap to his name). You're making yourself look silly if that's what you're getting at bud.
Glenn Innis
Guest
The idea that denationalising (what a horrible word) will help the international game is nonsense it will have the opposite effect - It will make origin even bigge -r a giant all stars game for world Rugby League nothing will be able to get near it.You always have to think of the unintended consequences. Also you may just kill two birds with one stone here delegitamise origins winning formula and further devalue the international game at the same time..I am not quite sure you have thought this through properly.
anopinion
Guest
I would love to see Qld v NZ or England.
anopinion
Guest
What if your mum has played for Qld or NSW?
anopinion
Guest
Disagree. I think most people would defend the residency rules. Moving abroad and making a new life should not take away a person's chance to play international sport. If an Australian is living in France, married to a French girl, owns a house and has been there for a number of years, then it is his decision if he wants to commit to France or keep his Aussie allegiance. All those I know who have chosen to play for foreign countries thought long and hard about it. It is too narrow a view to think that people have to stay in one country their entire lives.
killaku
Guest
Rob9,They are only playing for you's cos they would never get anywhere over here