Feleti a Blue this year?

[barney gumble]

An article in this weeks Rugby League Week has raised the issue of Feleti Meteo virtually being a walk up start into the Blues Origin side this year.

All he has to do is publicly state his desire to play for Australia, he doesn't even need to put it in writing, just merely state it in the media and he will be eligible for selection for the Blues.

Personally I think the Blues desperately need players like him if we're any hope this year. It's a shame that the rules can't be relaxed to let some of the highly talented Polynesian players become eligible for SOO and still hold ties to their home countries.

 

[Eelementary]

Meh. I never bother watching SOO anyway. Just a popularity contest.

 

[lucablight]

If you go by last years form he should make it easily

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

I hope not. I'd prefer to see him stick with Tonga and try to help develop international league.

 

[cumberlandsashes81]

I hope not. I'd prefer to see him stick with Tonga and try to help develop international league.

I'd like to see him stick with Tonga as well - but this will only happen if sticking with Tonga presents some decent opportunities. This requires the RLIF giving these nations a decent calendar of tests to play in (i.e. a decent Pacific Cup) or the lure of SOO will be too great...

 

[homo man]

I dont think he's lightfooted style would suit s.o.o

 

[thedux]

Well considering there isn't a more skillful backrower eligible for the blues, he's a walk-up start if that's what the selectors are looking for

 

[Fee]

On one hand I would love to see him play for the Blues , but on the other I would like to see him stay loyal to Tonga, wish we could have it both ways.:?

 

[parra-matters]

Well if he was a Qlder he would be able to play for both SOO and Tonga, but NSW players don't seem to get a choice.

 

[Eels Dude]

Just because he says he's available doesn't mean he's a 'walk up start'. It doesn't sound too different from the situation last year. They even let him play for city v country when he was a Tongan so he could make his mind. I'd like to see him in a Blue jersey. There's a spot for a backrower who can play 5'8th with Birdy gone which makes it easier for him.

 

[grapeape]

mateo must make this years side

we need some changes considering the 3 straight series losses.

the only question is what position?

my guess is a bench spot.

that whole tongan team problem is gone since the world cup is over, and the rules have changed also...so he can play for nsw

 

[bartman]

An article in this weeks Rugby League Week has raised the issue of Feleti Meteo virtually being a walk up start into the Blues Origin side this year.

All he has to do is publicly state his desire to play for Australia, he doesn't even need to put it in writing, just merely state it in the media and he will be eligible for selection for the Blues.

All true.

Personally I think the Blues desperately need players like him if we're any hope this year. It's a shame that the rules can't be relaxed to let some of the highly talented Polynesian players become eligible for SOO and still hold ties to their home countries.

To me a better answer would be to start a NZ v Islander SOO series, held at the same weeks as ours. Play the games in NZ, use it as a promotional vehicle to get people interested in the game over there, and to have some of the best players on show in rep footy on TV here.

Our SOO started from virtually nothing, so why not start one for people who aren't (or shouldn't be) eligible for NSW and Qld, rather than change the rules.

 

[Eels Dude]

that whole tongan team problem is gone since the world cup is over, and the rules have changed also...so he can play for nsw

Yeah I think there is a islander nations cup at the end of the year though... between Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, and PNG. The winner of that gets to join the quad nations for next season, at the expense of whoever comes last this year. That might just be extra incentive for Mateo to stay a Tongan and possibly play internationals against Australia and NZ next yr.

 

[hineyrulz]

If he doesn't get at least a bench spot then there is something seriously wrong with our selectors, but i have been saying that for 3 years......

 

[cumberlandsashes81]

Yeah I think there is a islander nations cup at the end of the year though... between Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, and PNG. The winner of that gets to join the quad nations for next season, at the expense of whoever comes last this year. That might just be extra incentive for Mateo to stay a Tongan and possibly play internationals against Australia and NZ next yr.

That's the plan anyway. The Pacific Cup has been held a few times before (most recently in 2006) and Tonga also played in the Federation Shield (against England, France and Samoa) in 2006 but if these tournaments are going to be a true incentive for guys like Feleti to stick with their nation they'll need to be more professionally run than before - i.e. they'll need to include all the eligible NRL / SL players and be financially lucrative for both the RLIF and players involved - a repeat of the 11k crowd at Penrith for a televised Tonga v Samoa game would be a step in the right direction.

 

[yy_cheng]

if it is not at the end of the year would parra release him to play?

THey should have a super 4 instead.

Kiwis w/o Super League players, NSW, QLD, Islander that are kiwis

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

The Four Nations next year will include the winner of the Pac Cup at the expense of France, not whoever comes last (which will be France anyways, but...)

I've argued in favour of a Pac Origin for many years now, bart, but that would mean an extra workload on players and suspending the competition for a weekend and shifting both Origins to Fri and Sat/Sun. Both of these may be sticking points.

Parra could not hold back players for a Pac Origin considering they already release players for a competition run by a body other than the NRL (SOO with ARL). On this same basis, because Origin is allowed there would be no legal grounds to stop a Pac Origin.

All of this could be done, it just requires some Islander officials with a set of balls and a group of senior players (like Cayless, Asotasi, Mateo etc) to seriously make a stand and be willing to see it through.

Last year's WC was a great starting point and I believe that by the time the next one rolls around the international landscape will be very different.

 

[yy_cheng]

I recall they didn't release Fui to play for NZ no?

 

[jk13]

nothing thread, queensland will bash anyone u pick, 4 in a row, it never gets boring

 

[Bazal]

I hope not. I'd prefer to see him stick with Tonga and try to help develop international league.

I agree. But I've also always thought that players should be able to play origin without necessarily playing for Australia. I mean, with Polynesian players especially, they tend to identify themselves on cultural lines rather than national lines in my experience because they still have a culture worth remembering. Why can't a guy like Feleti, who was born and raised Tongan in NSW, play for both? Obviously it's not going to allow New Zealanders to play or anything like that...but who said that someone who identifies themselves as being from NSW based on the Origin criteria doesn't also identify themselves as Tongan or Fijian or Samoan based on the International criteria?