Josh Jackson dismayed by Bulldogs City-Country ban

Canterbury forward Josh Jackson admits he is disappointed the Bulldogs won’t allow him to represent Country in this year’s clash with City Origin.

Jackson grew up just down the road from the venue for this year’s Mudgee fixture, in Gulgong, and was expected to be picked as one of the marquee players for the representative match.

However with the Bulldogs due to take on North Queensland in Townsville just four days after the May 7 fixture, Canterbury coach Des Hasler told his players last week they’d be unavailable for selection.

“I really wanted to be a part of the game so it’s definitely disappointing,” Jackson said.

“But I’ve got to respect the club and the fact it’s a four-day turnaround and got to look after the body.”

The NSW Origin second rower played his first representative game for Country in 2013, and is upset the concept will be scrapped at the end of the season.

He still plans on going out to watch this year’s clash, and admits he had been eying it since the draw was released for it to be played just 33 kilometres from where he grew up in the state’s central west.

“It would be enormous to go home and play in front of family and friends,” Jackson said.

“Pulling on that country jersey is a very proud moment for me.

“The bush people get right behind their footy and love their footy. They don’t get to see many quality games. It would have been great to be a part of.”

There is nothing in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement to guarantee players the right to a five-day turnaround, however that is accepted as the minimum rest period between games for NRL clubs.

Intriguingly, the Bulldogs play in New Zealand just two days after the second Origin clash in Sydney, where both Jackson and prop David Klemmer are likely to be involved.

Jackson refused to speculate on that matter on Wednesday, but was instead frustrated the scheduling problem after the representative round hadn’t been addressed earlier.

“They probably should have had a look at that four-day turnaround before,” he said.

Meanwhile former NSW Country player, Matthew Johns, called on the NRL to force Bulldogs players made unavailable for the fixture to stand them down for the Cowboys match.

“This is a real test of Todd Greenberg and the NRL,” Johns told Triple M.

“(Former ARL chief) John Quayle would of – that was his system. If you pulled out of a representative fixture, you didn’t play that weekend. You were out of that NRL match.”