Colman’s call: Is Kidwell fair dinkum in World Cup shot at Taumalolo?

IS David Kidwell fair dinkum — or whatever the Kiwi version of fair dinkum is? Jason Taumalolo’s decision to play for Tonga is great for the World Cup, writes Mike Colman.

Jason Taumalolo. Photo: Anna Rogers

IS David Kidwell fair dinkum — or whatever the Kiwi version of fair dinkum is?

New Zealand coach Kidwell has blown up about Jason Taumalolo not advising him he had chosen to play for Tonga in the Rugby League World Cup.

Maybe Taumalolo forgot Kidwell’s number — just like Kidwell forgot Taumalolo, arguably the best forward in the game, was sitting on the interchange bench for half an hour when the Kiwis were getting thumped 26-6 by Australia in Perth last year.

Kiwis coach David Kidwell. Photo: AAP

But regardless of why Taumalolo chose to play for the country of his parents’ birth, rather than that of his own, Kidwell should just pull his head in and get on with the job.

Better still, he should acknowledge that Taumalolo’s decision — and that of Andrew Fifita, among others — is the best thing that has happened to the World Cup since it was pulled out of mothballs in 1995.

In the history of the RLWC only three nations have won the trophy: Australia 10 times, England three times and New Zealand once. Australia has missed the final just once.

It has hardly been the recipe for a compelling tournament, but finally someone has bucked the system and opened the way for others to follow.

It took a player of Taumalolo’s stature to make a statement about the inequity of a competition in which the weak get weaker and the strong get stronger at their expense.

Jason Taumalolo in action for the Kiwis against Australia last year. Photo: AAP

Not that rugby league is the only code where this happens. Rugby union is even worse.

Imagine the All Blacks or Wallabies without their Pacific Island dual-citizens.

Last week I spoke to former All Black Jeff Wilson about the current batch of Fijian wingers on the international scene (on one weekend this season there were eight of them playing Tests around the world, two each for New Zealand, Australia, France and … who was the other team? Oh yes, Fiji).

Wilson was full of praise for the Fijians’ skills but made the point, “you would just love to see the Fijian national team have access to all of their players”.

No doubt Fijian rugby fans would echo his thoughts, just as Queensland league fans did in the 1960s and ‘70s watching their homegrown stars playing for NSW in interstate matches.

Their pain was eased by the introduction of State of Origin, just as Tongans will rejoice to the sight of Taumalolo, Fifita and other “rebels” wearing their colours over the next few weeks.

And hopefully it will just be the start of creating a more equal playing field.

Samoa coach Matt Parish has been vocal in his calls for parity in team payments. It’s a fair point. How can the International Rugby League expect “second tier” countries to ever compete against the three superpowers if their players are paid a fraction of the big names’ cash incentives and they can’t afford more than the bare minimum medical back-up?

The RLWC is financed by fat TV contracts. The lesser-known players are just as much a part of the show as the superstars. They should get the same match payments.

A reader, Joe Ramsay, has another suggestion to even up the competition and improve the spectacle.

Joe reckons all players eligible for more than one team should be placed in a selection pool and the lowest ranked nations be given first pick, similar to the AFL draft.

That way the likes of David Kidwell would have nothing to complain about and the tournament would be fair dinkum — or whatever the Kiwi word for fair dinkum is.

Originally published as Colman’s call: Is Kidwell fair dinkum in World Cup shot at Taumalolo?