Kiwi said:
I love how people call Carroll a traitor because he has played for the Kiwi's before, in the world cup. But what people forget is Ricketson played for Irland with Campion, yet played for Australia aswell. The only reason these players played in the world cup for other countries was because it didn't affect their chances of playing for Australia or Origin.
If it did do you honestly think Carroll, Ricketson, El Masri, Tuqiri ( Which is another people were happy to over look ) ect would have played for other countries? I think not.
Personally I would prefer Carroll to play for NZ, but he isn't, he made his choice a long long time ago, exploited a rule like many others to boost the world cup some what and is where he wants to be. Get over it.
Errrrrr... hello? Ireland? Thats a bit different isn't it?
Ken Rutherford for instance helps Ireland cricket out, but its not like he's turned his back on his TEST country. Toni Carroll played for a team that is in the top 2 in the world, you can't then turn around and say, na, enough of that, I'll play for the other side. What next? Joey Johns suddenly likes the Auckland Harbour scene so asks for a dispensation to play for the Kiwis? Paul Rauhihi reveals how he's an addict of Coro Street so he wants to repeal his Kiwis tag like Carroll and play for Great Britain? And while that may seem a joke, just think of all the former and current Kiwi internationals in Great Britain, Joe Vagana, Ali Lauitiiti, Robbie Paul, Lesley Vainakolo, Craig Smith, and a host of up and coming players like Shontayne Hape - what now stops them from representing Great Britain instead given the sham Bennett and Carroll just pulled?
You can't have your cake and eat it too in this instance - he represented a top flight international side. You can't just willy nilly pack up and play for another international side. Or else you leave the game in its current international state - a laughing stock. Seriously, other games with international codes are deadset p!ssing themselves laughing at rugby league, and rightfully so. What sort of rules do we have in place? NONE!
I couldn't be fussed who Carroll plays for because personally I think he's like Shaun Timmins, an overrated nuff nuff. But I do care about our game, Wayne Bennett and Carroll have confirmed it is nothing short of a joke. They haven't followed the games best interests, just their own. Unfortunately, this will be a rude awakening, for if Carroll does play Wiki and co will give him some serious carnage, and even if he doesn't, this pandora's box surely has opened up the necessity for a better set of rules, and a more authorative international controlling body that oversees things like this sham of an international allegiance system, international fixtures being scheduled when players are unable to be back in time for their international teams, refereeing appointments and hopefully judicial appeals.
Coincidentally, Kevin Campion did not play for Australia.
Whats that song - blinded by the light?