That’s what Mel Mininga was saying. But this is what happens when they make origin “the pinnacle” of rugby league, every player wants to play at the top level and that’s origin given the way it been booked over the last couple of decades. But it’s 2021, the country is culturally diverse these days and most players have more than one heritage.
State or origin is about the states hating each other and doing battle and so it should be kept that way. It’s not the platform for giving international players a chance that’s what the NRL and World Cup is for. You will lose the Ora of origin if you bend the rules and don’t strictly adhere to the prerequisites
Agree to disagree... It's not a platform for International players to play... bt Then why do the selectors keep selecting player's from International team's... Like the likes of Luai, to'o, Paulo,Sua, Tino and etc... Playing Samoa before playing Origin... sims, Safiti, koroisau for Fiji as well... And not mention Kaufusi all them Tongan players from the past like Andrew fifita n jennings n etc.. coates (PNG) or the likes of James Tedesco playing for Italy before origin same as Tyson Frizell playing Wales before origin... Still countless others that I haven't mentioned.. all players that have played international for their culture... Before making it onto the origin stage?? 🤷🏾♂️😂
@@olenetanu9226 I actually agree wit you 100% but all those were eligible and within the rules. The nrl didn’t try to bend the rules and say we want to expand our game in other cultures and countries. I think origin should stay true to origin as in if you are eligible perfect otherwise No deal.
@@olenetanu9226 if they were playing for their culture before origin that’s fine but they weren’t, they were playing for a different nation as to what they identify with, leading me to believe they aren’t Australian/would prefer to be playing for another country (like Italy or png) and therefore shouldn’t be eligible for origin.
@@michaelwalsh9881 Idk This all Australia's fault... Not the people of Australia bt those who run the league... making exception here and there on eligibility... Origin is are trials getting into kangaroos.. so qualify for yah state you gotta qualify for country is simple enough... bt the trouble started when players already represented Pacific island team's and other international teams first... Then they got real good so both origin teams had to pluck them for themselves first... in doing so they had to get into kangaroos... Can't blame the player's cause origin is the pinnacle of NRL and in my opinion better than the world cup... It's where the best of the best play...🙄🤷🏾♂️😁
So the australian team is comprised of lets say 20 players, state of origin has 40 players all up from each state. If im the 2nd best selection for australia and i miss out on being selected for the team do i just sit on my hands and watch someone else dominate a team in which i may be eligible to play for through decendency? I understand the dillema but its "state" of origin not country of origin. Alot of players are still eligible to represent their home countries. I would say if they are not 1st choice for australia , then and only then should they have the option to play for another country. Example being Luai. Samoa isnt a tier 1 nation he has played for and hes only played for the maori all stars not the nz team , he is by default still able to play for australia. If he chooses to play for samoa after being a 1st choice for australia that should render him ineligable for playing origin in the future. There are alot of players to name
@@yoza2317 theres no mana no pride in what your saying an thats ok if thats your thing chase that money bro like James Tamou .....but if your like me an just want to represent my people "Maori's an Kiwi's then im not worrying about origin simple!!! i love origin but its a aussie game an i respect that...im not gonna change there rules to suit me as a Maori or the other polynesian boys.
Said it from the start…..Origin is meant for Australian Selection only - regardless……..Meninga said it ages ago…..Gus said it - now everyone on board……maybe they should fix it before it gets out of hand….just my thoughts
Why don’t we just have a trial for Queensland - that way players get a chance to prove a point if they want to don a Maroon Jersey…..select them based on form and rugby league brain…….or is that too much to ask for lol……even then not sure how they would go up against the Blues?……i just hope we dont take 8 years to do it 🤪😜
It’s important for of State of Origin to stay the way it is and I encourage every islander or any other ethnic to play for Australia if you decide to enter State of Origin, no disrespect to the island nations but this is Australia’s master show piece and needs to stay that way for many years to come.
Then they should give Tonga and Samoa a 3 test series the same weeks as SOO and pay them the same amount. That way the aussies can have their "master show piece" and the island nations have a better chance of keeping players.
This whole international eligibility "outrage" reminds me of _Tonie Carroll_ , NZ born, QLD raised going to high school there. [1998-2007] Played 18 games for Maroons [2000] Played 5 Tests for Kiwis [2004-2005] Played 7 Tests for Kangaroos Can't remember the outrage in 2000 when Tonie was playing for the QLD off the bench and represented NZ in the same year then 4 years later, playing for Australia, now that is weird lol but can't blame any of those teams, I mean Tonie Carroll was a freakn Beast of a player especially in defence.
Imo, Brad Thorn’s situation is different. From memory, he never played any Union in Australia as he firstly got signed to play for Crusaders, played all his Union in NZ and him not playing locally in Australia disqualifies him playing for Wallabies yet he does qualify playing for All Blacks not only through residency by living in Christchurch but also he was born in NZ. International Rugby League eligibility rules were very grey then & now they’re even more confusing with tier system of guys who can play origin at one level and play for a country that’s not Australia all under the guise of growing the international game, that’s weird to me but hey, the players don’t make the eligibility rules, questionable maybe but not illegal.
In the last league world cup held in Aussie & NZ we all know, including Gus, Gal, Fittler, Alexander & John, that Jerome Luai played 5/8 for Samoa...yet he was eligible to play for NSW which then makes him eligible for Kangaroos? Come on guys...unimaginable...stop pouching the Island boys to make you all look good aye...🤣🤣🤣
I believe that the NRL should allow those who have played for their state in junior years. If you look at the NRL half of the NRL are either non-Australian or they have strong Polynesian backgrounds. Not to be a bias QLDER but for 3-4 years origin will be very boring. Even when Qld had the 8 years in arrow their were not these blow out scores like there are now. If the NRL allow non Australians to play origin this will one have a major boost in views and this will allow the best players vs the best players Because you don’t see every day Brandon smith play against latrell Mitchell and Jerome luai. Personally I would love to see this.
No one seems to think the kid lied on the form to be eligible, the family already had a lie about him being here at 13 ready. the guy lied on the form ,,,face facts
Should of been sorted at age group level but at age group level they keep on picking Kiwis, Samoans, Tongans etc, I'm pretty sure SBW played for NSW so it's been going on for ages
In SBW's day, most schoolboy rep teams were selected based on where you resided. They were not based on place of "origin." If you lived in a state, you were eligible to play for that state, which is how it works for most sports in Australia. Origin only started in rugby league (at the senior level) in 1980 because the Queensland residents team was no match for the NSW residents team (since many of the best Qld players were playing for rich Sydney clubs at that time).
You will find that he played once as a junior. On further investigation in 2013 he was found to meet only 2 of the five necessary qualifications. Never played again
G.I used the rule " played first A grade" game in QLD for norths devils even though he played A grade in NSW first while on holidays from wavell heights QLD
More drama porn to try to keep NRL in the news. One guy wouldn't have made any difference. Gus is wrong 100% (when I grew up in Sydney in the 70s/80s plenty of ethnic kids played league) and all the emotive garbage about how his family came here to play for the Broncos etc doesn't change facts.
I support NSW and I love that we are finally starting to win series but if they don’t want to play for Aus then they shouldn’t be playing for NSW or QLD
@Hoa Tattis It's not the Samoan and Tongans players fault it's the NRLs fault for these stupid rules that seem to be in a small print that no one can see on the contract. Plus that story of yours doesn't mean anything. The pacific islanders got picked over the aboriginal players because they were most likely better which makes alot of sense. Once again not there fault.
@@davejordan267 please, if you made a list of players born outside the state playing origin, the QLD list would be 4 times as long so don't start theere. Besides, Tamou was in Australia before he turned 13 so he is eligible. It's pretty simple. The current rules were agreed to in 2012 by NSWRL, QRL and ARL. I'm not surprised it only took less than a decade for QRL to try and pull a fast one, but they got caught and now they have to explain themselves.
@@davejordan267 half the current QLD team is born outside QLD. Only 1 for NSW. QLD couldn't field a competitive team if they could only pick from QLD born.
Got no issues with that being the case but if a Cam Smith, JT or players of that ilk were born in any other state, would they still be picked pick for the Kangaroos if they can’t play Origin?
A if they not born in QLd or NSW how come they allowed to play nobody stick up for Mundine or Nathan Blacklock how come you fellas tell us please kulla mutta.
Kangaroos selection?? You have a full board to select from but then you keep pooching pacific island players that potentially can help their nation progress. But I guess priority goes to Australia then the rest ha.. Narrative that fits yours is what NRL is all abouy
You do realise the NRL is an Australian sport played in Australia don’t you..Without the Australian NRL where would any of the pacific players be? And don’t forgot everybody has a choice if they want to play in the NRL
If they don't let Origin players play for other countries, it'll destroy international rugby league. Who's gonna elect to play for Tonga, Samoa, etc. when playing for them means that they'll never be eligible for SOO. Paulo, Papalii, Luai, To'o, Crichton, Mulitalo, Su'a, Milford, Nofoluma, Tupou, Jennings, Staggs, Coates, Fifita, Moses, Tedesco and so many others have represented countries other than Australia. Imagine they weren't allowed to play for their countries and instead only for Australia, making international league even more one-sided and boring and destroying the game in the pacific islands and around the world.
Remember GI got injured doing this Origin mid seasons then he was out for the full season now you got Panthers superstar injured. No way they will win GF without him.
i dont like Gal, qldander so its personal lol. but i agree 100% this time. i played and the cut was so fine and in some carnivals and trials, players who didnt even play or turn up were selected. i have always understood and realized that in the most cases that they were deserving. but as a player on the fringes...its hard, you take time of work, train after work work on extras for years and years just to have a shot and be considered....cheers
NSW have done the same thing for year's as well and still doing it as well, No mention of Daniel Tupou a Tongan playing for NSW. Just to mention One, and Gould it wasn't just a Anglo Saxon Game, what about Aboriginal players?
just my opinion, but people who are eligible to play for australia and another nation like tonga or samoa, should be able to play state of origin, have australia as a first choice to play for, and if they aren't named in the aussie squad, they should be allowed to play for any other country that they're eligible for, this would give the eligibility rules some sense to them, allowing more people into state of origin, but keeping strength in the other nations teams since they aren't needed in the aussie squad
That's not fair for the tier 2 nations to wait for the Australian team to be named to be able to fill their own squads. If players choose to represent tier 2 nations it shouldn't affect their origin eligibility considering they meet the current requirements for eligibility. The International game will never take off if NZ and Australia have first pick of players.
There are too many problems with this. One problem with allowing players to play origin and still be eligible for other nations at the international level if they aren't selected for Australia is that it makes them look like they're only there because Australia didn't select them! It weakens the other nations' sense of pride and cohesiveness and overall their ability to trust and play for one another. In the long run it will be worse for them.
@@turboteddy4912 100% we don’t want Australia and nz left over players . How’s the game going to grow when it’s just going to be a nz aus final every year
This is all Australia's fault. Not the people of Australia but those that run the league making exceptions here and there on eligibility. Play for another nation lose the ability for Australia simple enough. Origin are like the trials for getting into the kangaroos so qualify for state you also qualify for country simple enough. But the trouble started when players already represented Pacific island teams first, than they got real good so both origin teams had to pluck them for themselves first and in doing so they also got into the kangaroos. Can't blame the players because Origin for me is way better than World Cups even though it's played every year. It's just the best competition where the best players want to compete in and I also hear that the money ain't that bad.
They want origin to be the highest competition, but also keep it domestic - well you can't have it both ways... it's a game of passion not talent. I am all for tougher competition, but this could be a slippery slope to QLD and NSW having a total of 5 Australian players in 50 years time... you need to pick whether you'd prefer to represent your country of heritage, or Australia. Otherwise it's unfair to those like Taumalololo, SBW, Sam Burgess all who wanted to play origin but accepted that they couldn't to represent their respective countries.
Remember when players would say they were playing for the kids in their street then the state as a kid you would think they're playing for my street even if they didn't live there that's how it should stay not born here or turned up too late too bad you don't want a team half full of people that didn't live here how many times did you band together as a group to beat the kids in the next street with such fury and dedication just for bragging rights only this one has its own trophy
@@BobbyTheBoxer Like I said, keep it simple. If they cannot, then be strict with the rules from day one including exceptions (to the rule) provided in the rules. Exceptions cannot be discretionary. Then there is no point of there being any rules in the first place.
@@willieB22 I agree with keeping it simple. Age 0 is no more simple than 13 or any other age. My understanding is that when the current rules started in December 2012, they chose "prior to 13th birthday" because that age coincides with when kids start secondary school and start playing the International Laws. Seems like a logical choice, and it's a black-or-white rule. We are only talking about this because someone who came to Australia after his birthday was incorrectly told (by person or persons unknown) that he could play for QLD.
@@BobbyTheBoxer Someone (from QRL, perhaps) may have likely misled the kid, but don't the have NRL have records crosschecked so every registered player know there status well beforehand. Poor administration.
I'd like State of Origin be rebranded to be more inclusive. Its the pinnacle of the sport, these guys live here the majority of there life but can't participate on the biggest stage of their sport. The current mentality is bigoted and full of hatred of change. They don't have to use it as Kangaroo decider, its pretty evident who the best Aussie players are with out ever watching origin.
Origin is about being aussie and playing in the state you grew up in to qualify understandable that younger generation are from other country who dreamed of playing are denied cos of these restriction aussies should choose from their grass roots
Imo, the thrill if origin used to be the passion... not so much the skill. I haven't enjoyed origin much in last 20 years, sure some amazing skill on display, but the passion, the resentment from Queensland etc gave gone. Also bring back the rules from the 80s - get rid of interchange for starters.
I agree ...STATE OF ORIGIN is to pick players for the Kangaroos. Not to play for their State in Origin Series then play for Overseas teams like N.Z etc.
Rules are rules, in this case it's a black and white rule. You have to be here before 13, why is it being made such a big deal? He isn't eligible based on the rules.
@@olenetanu9226 The current eligibility rules started in December 2012, so any selections made prior to that time (when Uate played) followed a different set of rules.
Yeah but if they or Luai has already played for Samoa as their 5/8 in the last league world cup it means that he now cannot play for Samoa but Australia coz he now played in Blues origin team...that's day light robbery in my mind...pouching pouching pouching...it's rigged system...
Why should it be just for Australian selection? I thought it was where you made your junior debut? Where you were born or what country you play for should be irrelevant. State of ORIGIN. It’s in the bloody title.
@@hmmahlahbahhhhhhhhhhhh2123 Well he is right! Don’t call it state of origin. Ever since it’s inception it’s never been about origin. It’s always been about where they first played. If you want state of origin change it to where they were born! I agree with Brendan The likes of Sterling, Thaiday, Inglis and Moore would of been on different sides. They only changed it because of NSW dominance under the old system. But state of origin has never been about one’s origin
@@jaishwnd8609 He was born in nsw , so under the rules of the ARL he would be eligible to play for Queensland if he resides and plays there. But on his Australian birth certificate he would be a new south Welshman. The whole system is a bloody mess and has been for 40 years.
Haha QLD is gonna start a precedent. You know how many kiwis/islanders live in sydney who could in the future claim the same treatment mulitalo got? NSW will stack their team with them if this is allowed to happen.
Origin needs to change origin and internationional should be separate.. If you live in aussie and call quesnland home or nsw.. They you should be eligible and also eligible to play for your birth country as well all its doing is restricting the game from a specitical watching..
Then why not create an "Island of Origin" between Melanesia and Polynesia? That way the island boys and those with heritage get their own origin series and the Aussie blokes get back to SOO without having this hiccup with the eligibility rules since it's all about NSW and QLD taking it out on each other through classic rivalry. Just my two cents.
you know what this is going to do. push mulitalo to play for samoa and so is luai and to'o and paulo... orgin is going to lose its talent pool quick and fast.
It’s a damn shame but we are seeing the very imminent death of Leagues state of origin. Various factors are at play, very different than those that spelt the end of AFL state of origin, but deadly nonetheless.
@Hoa Tattis Hi Hoa, I wrote the following piece a little earlier and of course nothing has changed, and if you do read this piece, please keep in mind that I am talking about a 50 year strategy undertaken 30 odd years ago. Add to this, the fact that we now have COVID to deal with and a shake-up in our economy [on the horizon] the likes of which none of us living, has experienced before...well you get the gist...... `It seems to me as a reasonably newish convert from AFL to league that a strategic report (warts and all) was commissioned & tabled to the AFL back on the eve of them acquiring and centralising control of the administration and strategic direction of the game away from the Clubs in the early 80’s. This report stated that within say 50 years (of then, I cant recollect specifically the year] that this Country was going to have only one national football Code. And from that day forward they [the AFL Commission] have forward planned 5, & 10 years in advance every strategic part of their comprehensive business plan. Gus knows this & has been trying to get the NRL to adopt similar medium to long term planning, from the grass roots of the game, thru to identifying and giving due credit to Ex-players & everywhere in between. And now even poor Gus knows that all his dire predictions are coming true and all has been for nought.30 years on and 20 to go and we will all know how comprehensively right [or wrong] that strategic report really was`.....
here is another example of why leagues future prospects are grim, and it backs up my earlier statements.....`The AFL continues to invest in grassroots football infrastructure within indigenous communities throughout the Asia-Pacific region from which to build its future player stocks from. Success stories Israel Folau, and Karmichael Hunt, whose parents are from Samoa and the Cook Islands, and West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui [of Fijian descent], all attended the AFL's 2020 under-16 Oceania Cup in Tonga. King Tupou V has stated that he wants an AFL academy in Tonga. As well as this Folau's cousins Peni Mahina and Simote Taunga are among 800 AFL participants in a country of little more than 100,000 people and represented the South Pacific team in the AFL's 2020 under-16 championships at Blacktown. Rugby Australia, the ARL [and the NRL] all have blackeyes over the way in which their respective codes have treated these cross-code footballing heroes, and Islander politicians have good memories.
Queensland Rugby League are a joke and this should've been fixed. They shot themselves in the foot and stuffed up their own preparations for game 2 bcos of this. My opinion is that Gus is 1000% right the game needs to evolve with time. No longer is the nrl an anglo saxon game and around 50% of players are from the island nations. When you have the best players playing against each other that's what puts league on a pedestal to rival sporting codes around the world
@Hoa Tattis You're neglecting the fact that Island players sacrifice a lot to leave their home countries and travel to Australia to chase their dreams with almost empty pockets but a dream in mind. Look at guys like Ronaldo Mulitano of late, Taumololo, Benji etc I could go on forever. For you to say cheap islanders are contravening the chance of country rugby players is misguided and so far from the truth. You or me cannot stop the direction rugby league is moving in. In 20 years from now, you will have players from all backgrounds playing the game not just Islanders and I think we should embrace that as it will grow rugby league into a world sport. Can you imagine if African-Americans chose NRL over NFL, we would be blessed with incredible talent. I don't think you would then whinge about country players missing out. Whoever is most talented deserves the jerseys.
If that's the case they should made a rule for international game... Cause some of the player's that played this year's origin played Tonga Fiji Samoa Italy n PNG international before they got selected for origin...🙄🤷🏾♂️😂
@Hoa Tattis bt then that doesn't make sense when the likes of Kaufusi that played Tonga before Australia n Tedesco played Italy before Australia... Tyson Frizell played world cup for wales back in the days... not to mention Uate and Radardara n so forth...🤷🏾♂️🙄
its a simple fix...keep State Of "ORIGIN" IN MIND! Wherever a player plays his/her FIRST game of league, THAT is the state they can play for being that state is the ORIGIN of their football!! None of this crap where their grandparents or parents were born etc etc, plus as for what qualifies a player to play for country, it should ONLY be where they are a naturalisede citizen of or where they were born...thats it!!
So if anyone who gets picked for origin and plays for a lower tier nation, causes an Aussie kid to miss the opportunity to play Origin and hopefully Australia. Origin is about 💲💲💲💲....what a bloody F joke
State of origin should only be for Australian's so why do they keep chasing the Poly boys! Over a third of the sides players are of Polynesian heritage might as well call it "Island of origin"....
People with overseas heritage who live in Australia and who are either permanent residents in Australia or Australian citizens should be eligible to play sport for Australia. There are lots of examples of that in international sport (e.g. the Olympics).
@@BobbyTheBoxer Yeah but many of these Poly boys would rather play for there country of birth not Australia, so kinda defeats the purpose of origin and when you look at it as a whole it just ain't fair on the International game when you take the best Poly boys out from playing for Samoa, Tonga, Fiji etc if we want the International game to grow globally we need these teams to be strong
@@Saiyan4eva If players are eligible to play for more than one country, then, of course, they should be able to play for their country of choice. However, Origin should only be for players who are willing to play for Australia. It's a series between two Australian states NSW and QLD, and it should be seen as a stepping stone to being selected for Australia.
One of the best ever origin performers Greg Inglis qualified for NSW, yet somehow played for Queensland? Look at these maroon flogs complaining all the time. The problem isn’t lack of talent, it’s lack of leadership from the top all the way to the captain.
Ronaldo Mulitalo needs to have legal lawyers. To check out his contract. Ronaldo is a Legend in Rugby league. God bless Ronaldo Mulitalo. Australia needs to change their rules when players coming frm New Zealand.. So what if you have more talent guys in Rugby league that are Pacific islanders frm New Zealand. Who are older are they still allowed to shift over and play at age of 16 on wards.
And if you are eligible to play for Australia, then you should be eligible to play Origin. Similarly, if you aren't eligible to play for Australia, then you shouldn't be eligible to play Origin.
Frankly if your not born here you don’t get an aussie jersey. Draw a line and stick to it , come what may. Bozo could have played for England. Its OK Whats wrong with being satisfied with playing for Tonga , Samoa or NZ anyway. Might make test matches more interesting if they stuck to their home country and culture. We’ve shared way too much of the country we built already.
The age has to be set somewhere. They chose "before 13" for a reason when the rule was written in 2012. It's supposed to coincide with the start of secondary school and when juniors start playing the International Laws. What's the rationale for changing it from 13 to 15, other than to let Mulitalo play? What about the next kid who missing the new cut-off by a few months?
If you can't play in origin as per the eligibility rules then don't bother putting your hand up. Simple. If you want to represent Australia and ARE eligible for origin then go ahead. But if you don't want to play for Australia then you CANT play origin.
Half of the qld side not born in the state might as well give them another one. It's always been that way they. NSW vs rest of the world. Qld legend born in NSW or NZ or Fiji there's heaps of them, what a joke.
