State of Origin news: Mal Meninga demands NSW, Queensland stars declare international eligibility ahead of World Cup
Mal Meninga is set for a showdown with the International Rugby League over concerns about Australia’s World Cup squad being decimated by rival nations.
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Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has demanded NSW and Queensland stars declare their World Cup eligibility immediately after State of Origin amid fears many could abandon Australia for Pasifika nations.
Meninga’s plea comes as International Rugby League chairman Troy Grant described State of Origin players being forced to represent Australia as “a dumb waste of talent.”
A series of Origin stars having already pledged allegiances to their native countries for the end-of-season World Cup in England with more ready to follow their native allegiance.
Meninga wants all players to nominate their country of preference after the Origin series, enabling nations to push forward with their 24-man squads. All Origin players are eligible to play for Australia or their country of birth or heritage.
NSW stars Daniel Tupou and Kotoni Staggs have already revealed a desire to play for Tonga at the World Cup. Tyson Frizell is also available for Mate Ma’a Tonga and could also represent Wales.
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Origin players Payne Haas (NSW) Josh Papalii (QLD), Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (QLD), Junior Paulo (NSW), Stephen Crichton (NSW), Jarome Luai (NSW), Brian To’o (NSW), Joseph Suaalii (NSW), Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (QLD) are all eligible for Samoa.
Maroons winger Xavier Coates can represent Papua New Guinea while Reagan Campbell-Gillard (NSW), Api Koroisau (NSW), Jacob Saifiti (NSW) and Tariq Sims (NSW) are available for Fiji. Queensland centre Val Holmes is eligible for the Cook Islands.
It has reignited debate around whether all players who contest State of Origin should then automatically be available for Australia – and not be permitted to represent another nation.
Just last year, Meninga told the media he would “like to think” Luai “will make himself available for Australia.”
Each nation is claiming a final decision will be left to the individual player.
Asked how he felt about Origin players not being available for Australian, Meninga said: “I can live with that for this year but down the track we need to look at it. We need to look at the eligibility, full stop. That needs to come back onto the table.
“But in a World Cup year – and we haven’t played for three years – if the players want to play for their ancestral nations then I’d be happy with that. It is a good opportunity for all teams to be strong and to kick off the international program with a really strong World Cup.
“The only thing I expect as coach of the Kangaroos is for them to declare early who they will play for so we can get on with choosing our squad. Perhaps declare eligibility after State of Origin. As long as we know then we can prepare our teams.
“We’ve got great depth in the Kangaroos. It might affect New Zealand a bit more than us. This year, we can put our hands up and say we want the best World Cup and want the best players playing.”
Grant said Origin players should be permitted to play for their country of birth or heritage.
“The players selected for NSW and Queensland, who are eligible to play for other countries, commonly known as tier-two, can absolutely select to play for those countries at the World Cup,” Grant said.
“I have spoken to a number of these players who have made their wishes very clear to me, such as their passion for their country of heritage or birth and that strengthens international rugby league by getting the Origin experience to take back to the international game.
“You can only play 17 players in the Kangaroos. What do all the others do? Miss out on the opportunity to play international footy? For the rest of those to not be given an opportunity, that’s just dumb and an absolute waste of talent.”
Grant rejected a theory that all Origin players should be only made available to the Kangaroos.
“We live in such a multicultural, modern world – that’s an older understanding,” Grant said. “Australia, in essence, is made up from people all over the world. That is one of the strengths of our country.
“In particular, those with Pacific Island heritage have such a strong cultural and religious link to their Pacific countries and they play rugby league in honour of their families and, therefore, we have always deemed it appropriate that they get that opportunity to play for that country.”
For administrative purposes, each nation will be asked to submit a preliminary 50-man World Cup playing list although players can be selected in multiple lists.
MENINGA WEIGHS IN ON TRBOJEVIC, ADDO-CARR ORIGIN SNUBS
—Michael Carayannis
Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has kept the door open for dumped Blues players Josh Addo-Carr and Jake Trbojevic to keep their Australian spots amid a raft of potential changes to the national team.
Meninga will name a 50 man World Cup train-on squad in the middle of the Origin series to help tournament organisers prepare for the end of season competition.
Addo-Carr and Trbojevic are expected to make the cut despite their shock axing from the NSW team.
“They are great players,” Meninga said. “They are influential at their clubs and will be in the picture. I’m sure they won’t be on the outer for long at the Blues and will be working hard to play in the series. It’s not like they are playing terribly. They need to keep preserving and the reason they’ve been great players and in so many representative teams is because they’ve been consistent for their clubs.
“Loyalty is one of the criteria I pick on as is form through Origin and your club at the back end of the year.”
The Kangaroos have not played a Test since their loss to Tonga at the end of 2019. Addo-Carr and Trbojevic were part of that side with only the likes of James Tedesco, Cameron Munster, Josh Papalii, Cameron Murray and Payne Haas guaranteed selection for Australia’s opening world cup match against Fiji on October 15. A young Kotoni Staggs played halfback for Tonga during their famous victory.
Retired skipper Boyd Cordner is an obvious non-starter while Wade Graham, Paul Vaughan, Nick Cotric and David Klemmer are unlikely to be part of the extended squad. Meninga has shown in the past he was prepared to pick players who had performed for him on the international arena even if they were overlooked for Origin selection. This year’s series takes on added importance though given the Covid-19 impact on international matches.
Nathan Cleary and Daly Cherry-Evans will face-off as the battle for the halfback position intensifies.
“Both are in the picture for the tour and it’s up to them how they perform,” Meninga said. “They are great players and it’s an unenviable position to have players of that ilk to choose from. We haven’t had an international game for three years so form will play a big part. Loyalty is always a factor but probably down on the list because of the time frame between Tests.”
Incumbent Kangaroos hooker Damien Cook is under pressure to keep his spot from Melbourne rake Harry Grant.
BENNETT POACHED TO LEAD INTERNATIONAL SIDE
—Dean Ritchie
Wayne Bennett will make a shock return to international coaching.
News Corp can reveal Bennett will be named interim coaching advisor for Tonga in a one-off Test against New Zealand on June 25 at Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland.
Tonga’s head coach, Kristian Woolfe, is unable to fly to New Zealand due to his pressing commitments with Super League frontrunners, St Helens.
With Woolfe remaining in England, former Dragons premiership-winning forward – and current Cowboys assistant – Dean Young will be Tonga’s caretaker coach with Bennett his coaching advisor.
Former Tongan player Sika Manu will also be on the nation’s coaching staff.
Woolfe will coach Tonga in the rugby league World Cup later this year in England.
Bennett is having a coaching hiatus in 2022 while slowly building a roster for Redcliffe’s entry into the NRL next year.
“My commitment to St Helens and the inability of the representative and international weeks to line up in the two hemispheres means it is not possible to be in New Zealand for a week during the Super League season,” said Woolf.
“But we have been able to put together an amazing coaching staff with Dean, Wayne and Sika.
“Dean has been an assistant on the Tongan team previously, and is one of the brightest young coaching prospects in the NRL.
“Sika was the captain of this team through a golden period, and understands the passion of the Mate Ma’a Tonga.
“And no-one has had more success in coaching rugby league than Wayne Bennett – having him there will be a great experience for both the players and the staff.
“This is a strong coaching staff for what will ultimately be a new-look Tongan team missing some players from the English Super League, who will be playing an important international Test while competing for spots in the World Cup squad.”
The Tongan Rugby League is expected to issue a media release later this morning confirming the coaching movements.
Tonga’s last Test match was in 2019 against Australia when the two-tier nation scored one of the greatest upsets in international rugby league history.
The representative weekend in Australia – which includes State of Origin II in Perth – doesn’t align with a similar rep weekend in England.
Tonga is expected to be among four nations to challenge for the World Cup. The others are England, New Zealand and the Kangaroos.
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