It is a complete misreading of the decision facing the NRL to say they are thinking of “bringing in” Pacific players. To suggest State of Origin is about to be “torn down” is nothing more than scare-mongering.
Under the proposal, eligibility for the interstate competition does not change at all!
Yes, it’s Origin season. As usual, for the next two months, all other forms of rugby league will be pretty much forgotten and instead we’ll be deluged with the selection minutiae of the NSW and Queensland sides.
In Thursday’s Sydney Daily Telegraph, my colleague Paul Kent rails against changing the qualification rules to allow Origin players to represent tier two countries – a development which I am convinced is about to transpire.
The change is not intended to “bring in” new players, as many seem to believe. All it does is save existing, qualified Origin players from going through the hassle of changing the country of election with the Rugby League International Federation.
NSW and Queensland pretty much get whoever they want anyway, as long as they qualify under the current rules – i.e: they lived in the state before the age of 13. Thirty-thousand dollars a game will do that.
From last year’s teams, James McManus is Scottish, Aidan Guerra is Italian, Ben Te’o and Josh Papalii Samoan, Robbie Farah Lebanese, Jarryd Hayne Fijian, Michael Jennings, Tony Williams, Will Hopoate and Daniel Tupou all Tongan eligible.
Why should they have to play for Australia?
If the State of Origin eligibility laws have been tightened to protect the integrity of the series, why do we need the double jeopardy of tying all these guys to the green and gold when they could be out representing other nations and making our sport stronger?
At the moment, that $30,000-per-game cheque is wrecking international football. It’s causing people like Akuila Uate, who came to Australia only to play football – not as a part of an immigrant family like some the fellows mentioned above – to desert their home country’s football team right at the time they are most needed.
That $30,000 cheque gives the most powerful rugby league nation on earth an extremely unfair advantage over everyone else – and hurts the sport deeply.
England and New Zealand don’t need our help – James Tamou is not going to be allowed to play for NSW and New Zealand – but the other countries do, and the untying of Origin eligibility from Australian eligibility is an absolute necessity.
I admit there could be some unforeseen by-products. Some players currently aligned with the Kiwis could switch to a Pacific country so they could also play Origin. These are the players who could be “brought in” by the change – but they must have lived in NSW and Queensland before the age of 13.
I couldn’t find a single candidate. Maybe you can.
The proposed amendment doesn’t change the make-up of Origin teams one iota because the integrity of that competition and those teams has already been future-proofed by tightened regulations anyway.
***
Wow, more than 300 comments to last week’s column about disgruntled rugby league bodies aligning with rugby union.
Hot off the presses, I can report that the Rugby League International Federation is furious with the rebel Italians for aligning with the local rugby union.
“The RLIF categorically rejects any infringement on the sovereignty of rugby league and consequently considers FIR’s action to be illegitimate,” the game’s peak body said in a statement overnight.
“The RLIF has sole responsibility for setting rugby league’s universal standards, laws, regulations and practices, which are disseminated through its regional confederations and members. In Italy the sole legitimate authority for rugby league is the Federazione Italiana Rugby League.
“FIR has no jurisdiction over rugby league and the RLIF has written to the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), FIR and World Rugby to confirm these facts. The body known as LIRFL is a rugby union entity without legitimacy, authority or credibility in the rugby league community.”
So there.
ChrisB
Guest
And that comment and attitude is at the heart of RLs problem. International sport should always be the pinnacle. Inter colonial football should be nothing more than a glorified selection trial
Sylvester
Guest
I think a large part is parental influence in the cases of those you mentioned. I have a Kiwi mate who lives in QLD and has a Kiwi wife, who's also Maori. Their son was born in a Australia and at 2 he's already wearing a replica All Blacks jersey. What chance he's going to grow up feeling more Aussie than Kiwi? I bet you though he'll feel like a QLD-er.
Russell Johnson
Guest
Well done for that reality check Renegade, SOO v Tests is a simplistic and illogical argument on the whole cos there should be both! However, the argument about whether we choose an ambitious world view of our sport or an insular ever decreasing sphere isn't! Yawnion is under no such illusion which is why things like this happen consistently all over the place and the IRB ( this is kick and clap speak for Vichy regulations) do nothing to prevent it. Under the Olympic constitution - CHARTER sport is seen as a right which cannot be denied to anyone regardless of gender etc etc and yet funny-onion is a recognised Olympic Sport. *nion a sport that has consistently denied people for various reasons and through various excuses people of all sorts the right to enjoy the sport they love is an Olympic Sport! Vichy, apartheid, shamateurism, Italy, Tonga, Fiji, Italy etc etc and now the UAE! Someone on here suggested RL hasn't got the reach of other sports, And I just can't think of any explanation of why that should be, can you?
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Not really.
Russell Johnson
Guest
"In any case you are quoting maybe scenario’s regarding pensions, the government will continue to pay pensions while-ever they they have funding." lol The nice thing about this is the ultimate faith in governments! They do contain politicians, you know! The point about who you play for can never be dictated by a two year old's argument like - "We're not going to play him but you can't have cos he's ours!"
Russell Johnson
Guest
Yes Sleiman but who cares about the law or morality or basic human wishes when we want to talk up our prejudices? No one with a prejudice wantsto look at the truth or reality to events otherwise it wouldn't be a proper prejudice, would it? I must admit though, I didn't know Nigel Farage was an Australian!!!! .............You live and learn.
Russell Johnson
Guest
Yes quite right the game has been overflowing with which cherry picking suits our agenda for so long everyone's stopped being able to even see the problems for what they are any more. And no one has the right to decide for someone else or assume they know what someone's really thinking when it comes to their decisions about who they play for! And if the Roos ignore them and they succeed in making games more competitive and raise interest levels it's just tough for the Roos and great for the international game! Win, Win.........
Renegade
Roar Guru
Steve, What about the reports coming through that the UAE RU boss has had the UAE rugby league president arrested over the use of the word 'rugby'.... what an absolute joke! It's the 2015 version of Vichy/France... absolutely ridiculous.
Newy J
Guest
On the international front the NRL should provide an equal payment to tier 2 pacific island nations such as Samoa etc. i'm sure that will up the ante in the international competitions.
kevin dustby
Guest
but people here only care about the pacific islands and their "plight"
peeeko
Guest
but how about J hoffman and g Beale and F Pritchard, they are born in Australia an represent NZ? Cayless had not even been to NZ when he represented them. If they are able to represent NZ through heritage then surely soemone who moved here at 14 (tamou) is good to represent Australia?
peeeko
Guest
good points. persinally i would prefer all players eligible for Australia to represent Australia and not represent heritage but if the choice is there I guess they are entitled to take it. you dont see this in other sports where an Australian born and bred player has played for 2 countries against the country of his birth
Superstar superhuman
Guest
It's not about other codes, it's about the best way to develop these nations as well as keeping the integrity in state of origin eligibility. Allowing origin players to play for pacific nations is a quick fix to artificially strengthen these nations, and it's not going to lead to more home grown players joining these sides. If you had your way, one of Konrad hurrell or solomone kata - tonga's centre pairings and their only two home grown players - would have missed last weekends game if Michael Jennings decided he wanted to help Tonga out. ITs way more important to get guys like hurrell and kata playing in the test than guys like Jennings. Same goes for all the other pacific countries. It also makes a something of a mockery of origin by having players ineligible for australia playing a rep match for nsw or qld which are australian States. Samoa, Tonga, fiji and png are not part of nsw or qld last time I checked
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Meh? Geez, I've heard and read nothing but talk about the loss to New Zealand. Imagine if there were another match in a weeks time....
Alvin Purple
Guest
But RL is different in that we do not have the reach of these other sports. It has to start somewhere and if this is a way to help develop these nations then this is what needs to be done. Whether this changes in 10-20 years remains to be seen but for now lets go with it and see what happens.
Alvin Purple
Guest
Superstar - but RL does not have the luxury of having competitive nations to go right now. We should not worry what other sports think of what we are doing and make it so that this is a stepping stone to get more locals involved in the minnow nations. I am not sure but I am sure there was press about the games in their home nations and I hope that they got to see the games. More exposure should turn into more participation at the local level and hopefully more competitive nations without the need for as many heritage players.
Alvin Purple
Guest
Then what do you propose? RL has been neglected by the RL hierarchy for a long time but it does not need to be this way going forward. The Pacific strategy announced last year is the first of hopefully many ways of getting more locals involved in the code. Maybe the current set up is not the best but at least it is a start to hopefully move the code forward in these minnow nations. The games on the weekend only show how exciting a brand of football these guys can bring and I for one can not wait to see them play again
Alvin Purple
Guest
I have never heard anything more ridiculous. SOO is that no Northern & southern stars - what a load of rubbish. SOO if for those born in Australia only - no overseas players at all. If they do not like head back to the Super league or whatever else comp they want to play in.
cedric
Guest
yeah, but when you're trying to grow the game you gotta lend a little. Question, I thought Will Chambers was a Territory boy, so how does he get to play for Qld, or did he move to Qld when young?
cedric
Guest
put the Tonga/Samoa test in Auckland, 30,000 will turn up with the right marketing. Plus tv rights, there's a chunk of cash!!!!!!