Meeting to decide whether Samoa, Tonga receive tier one status will impact Origin
The performance of Samoa at the World Cup could see the nation elevated to tier one status forcing players to choose between country and state.
Opinion
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The NRL may be forced to overhaul State of Origin eligibility, if Samoa and Tonga are elevated to tier one nations.
If Samoa is upgraded from their current tier two status, the likes of Jarome Luai, Junior Paulo and Brian To’o could be forced to stop playing for the island nation if they wanted to keep playing State of Origin.
A most recent example of a tier one player being deemed ineligible for State of Origin is NSW-born Victor Radley, who in choosing to represent England at the World Cup, triggered his immediate unavailability to represent the Blues in the future.
There are increasing calls for the rules to be changed so that players - like Radley - can still be selected for Origin, but play for another country.
In the wake of Samoa’s historic World Cup performances, there is a growing push for the minnow nation, including the likes Tonga, to be recognised alongside Australia, New Zealand and England.
The possible elevation of Samoa or Tonga from their current tier two status to tier one level is out of the NRL’s hands.
The decision sits with the International Rugby League (IRL) and it’s understood the possible elevation of either Samoa or Tonga will be made once the World Cup is over.
Whether the recent standing of Tonga and Samoa against tier one nations is enough to tip their hand remains to be seen.
The criteria for being labelled a tier one nation is not based solely on a national team’s performance.
Each nation’s junior development, pathways and local competitions are key elements.
It is understood the ARL commission do not have a large appetite to change the eligibility rules surrounding Origin - which currently only stops those players wanting to represent New Zealand and England to be ineligible.
Their hand may be forced though if the world body upgrades any of the Pasifika nations.
However, NRL boss Andrew Abdo and ARLC chairman Peter V’landys sit on the international board.
They replaced commissioners Peter Beattie and Wayne Pearce this month.
On the back Radley’s elimination from being considered for the Blues, NSW State of Origin coach Brad Fittler has already called for an overhaul of the current eligibility for the annual state series,
“If you play in NSW or Queensland before you’re 13 years old — and play in the junior systems — then you should have the right to play for NSW and Queensland,’’ Fittler said.
“It shouldn’t matter which international team you play for.’’
KENT: SHED A TIER FOR ORIGIN IF ELIGIBILITY CHANGES
- Paul Kent
The poets will be hard at work Saturday night crafting one of two muggy storylines for us to wake to Sunday morning, and for that they deserve a cheer.
Just one, three is overdoing it.
One narrative says such will be the performance of Samoa against Australia in Saturday night’s World Cup final that they simply must be considered a tier one nation.
Or, goes the other, we just saw further proof why there is still a way to go, such was Australia’s dominance.
The debate about the growth of international football found a little heat this week with Samoa’s emergence at the World Cup, to go with Tonga reaching the semi-final at the previous one, to revive the growing argument about eligibility and international football and, inevitably, State of Origin.
Earlier this week NSW Origin coach Brad Fittler called for a broadening of Origin eligibility, saying anybody that played in NSW or Queensland before they were 13 should be able to play Origin, saying, “It shouldn’t matter which international team you play for.”
That suggests Fittler also meant Kiwis and Poms be allowed, those currently ineligible from playing Origin.
Some could accuse Fittler of self-interest. He is the NSW coach, after all, and would benefit directly from a welcome all-comers decision more than anybody.
Also this week Stephen Crichton called for Samoa to be elevated to tier one status after this World Cup – while maintaining he still wanted to play Origin for NSW.
“Having been born in Samoa, I want to represent mum and dad,” he said.
“But with Origin I definitely also want to represent where I grew up and hopefully there is a change if we become tier one.”
You feel for Crichton here. His thoughts are understandable, if not necessarily the way to go.
At some point after Sunday’s final the International Rugby League will meet to consider the status of the rugby league nations with particular emphasis on Samoa and Tonga.
The Samoans have been colossal. Captain Junior Paulo has found new levels in this tournament.
Tier one nations are Australia, New Zealand and England. Everybody else makes up tier two and, such are the confusing eligibility guidelines, some remain eligible to play for Australia or their nation of heritage.
But if rugby league is to continue to grow Tonga and Samoa must be considered tier one nations.
Samoa plays in the World Cup final tonight and in recent years Tonga has beaten both Australia and New Zealand.
They are giving as good as they get and, as they grow, everybody is posturing about where the game should head, the argument reaching a stalemate in several areas.
Namely, this illusion that Origin is the best of the best and to now allow every player somehow weakens it, and also that passion is transferable, and that Australia will remain as the dominant international force in rugby league.
One of the myths of Origin is that it is the Best of the Best. There were times it was true but, in reality, it is merely a dull slogan dreamt up in a marketing room by someone with a ponytail.
If Origin truly was about pitting the best against the best answer this simple question: when NSW was throwing darts at the board some years back, trying to find a halfback capable of putting in even a basic pass mark, and Queensland had Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk and Daly Cherry-Evans jostling for position, and before that Darren Lockyer, why didn’t Queensland give the Blues their second choice halfback?
The answer is more simple than the question: because they are Queenslanders.
To suggest the Maroons should have shared would have been a blasphemy but, to carry the thought, right there it kills the best of the best argument dead on the floor.
We don’t apply the same logic to Samoans and Tongans and Fijians and Kumuls, even though Origin is historically a selection trial for Australia.
Most calling for a broadening of Origin eligibility believe they are preserving the integrity of this illusion of best of the best. Remove those players who played Origin this year, those representing other nations at this World Cup, and you still put together two handy teams.
The greatness of Origin is about what beats under the jersey.
When somebody sprinkled magic dust over Origin all those years ago, when it was not supposed to work but did anyway, something was born that still nobody has adequately explained, or has been able to repeat.
Other codes have tried it, like AFL, and it has failed.
Passion is not transferable.
When Queensland coach Billy Slater knocked on Tom Dearden’s door in July to tell him Cameron Munster was sick and he was playing five-eighth Dearden could not respond. He broke down in tears.
On the other side, NSW five-eighth Jarome Luai was talking about his passion to play for Samoa. Queensland won, by the way.
When the All Stars game was launched in 2010 there were even thoughts it might some day rival Origin but, in the end, the World All Stars couldn’t muster the passion for their team enough to reach the fans, much like the AFL’s Origin experiment. The concept began to die through lack of buy-in, finding life support only when the Maori All Stars replaced the World All Stars.
Passion is not transferable, or assumed.
Crichton conceded as much this week, saying the Samoan players were encouraging each other all year to commit even as Origin was being played.
And which is as it should be. The game needs it from its other nations if the world game is to grow.
For Australia’s sake, too.
What happens when a critical mass of players, prepared to play for the State but not truly believing it, are picked for Origin?
If the evolution of the game continues as it is there will no doubt come a day something like when most thought it impossible the Broncos would never have a Queensland representative – that Australia might one day find itself sending off a World Cup squad with no Origin stars.
Already at this World Cup you can pick two very good teams that are up to Origin standards in all but a few positions from Australian-based players who are playing for other nations.
What happens when that World Cup comes one day and few, if any, of the players picked for the Kangaroos have not been battle hardened in Origin and are sent off to the tournament, clearly underdone?
It sounds absurd. But not anywhere near as absurd as it would have sounded 20 years ago.
Do we rush to reverse eligibility?
French rugby league was once a powerhouse but diminished through lack of care and planning.
Not all at this World Cup would declare themselves for other nations if pressed, and at the moment potential teams still have some holes, but Samoa’s emergence at this World Cup was built on the back of such men making that decision, and it will grow, and they will become a force.
Origin works for reasons nobody can explain yet, to please the noisy few, there is a push to add to the 11 secret herbs and spices that make it work.
It’s crazy.
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