Have the ARL(C) done more harm or good the last 30 years?

[franklin2323]

It's not 'blaming', it's a suggestion of something that would be really simple to rectify and be a big boost to the sport with no downside. De-link Origin from Australian national team eligibility and you're instantly leveling the playing field. Yes, there's still a funding gap, but this would reduce the gap. And that's certainly much more helpful in the short term than suggesting that international RL somehow finds $100m out of thin air. FWIW top players playing in matches for the Pacific (or European) nations would massively boost their profile and thus generate more money for the international game, and equally increase the appetite for these nations to play more regular and meaningful matches.

Tonga and PNG didn't play a mid year test. Their post season test wasn't televised, Players barely had costs covered. Hardly going to get heritage players inspired to play for them. Change that and the Origin carrot is reduced

 

[deal.with.it]

EH, if the ARL won't budge on their origin selection criteria, then the RLIF and its members need to move on.
Yes, it sucks. But it's been this way for how long now? Other NGBs know exactly what the ARL's viewpoint is. They can structure their own organisation accordingly.
PNG have criticized the ARL and SoO for taking its players (the latest being Nene McDonald with U20s rep). They too are criticizing players for taking up contracts in England. Point being, they haven't got their own shit together to be able to even create policies and procedures to deal with the burden that is SoO.

 

[Evil Homer]

^ They shouldn't move on, they should continue to encourage the ARL to do the right thing and stop implementing archaic rules that hurt the sport. It's not ok that the governing body for the most powerful RL nation is continuing to act in this way and we can't just ignore the issue, it needs to be resolved for things to move forward. Yes, PNG RL is a mess but that doesn't excuse the fact that Australia are making life more difficult for them than it should be.

 

[deal.with.it]

Sure, keep lobbying. But get your own house in order at the same time!

 

[roughyedspud]

under RLIF LAWS players can play origin and a other nation

 

[Fonzie]

My suggestion for solving this problem would be:

1. Create an exemption from the NRL salary cap for bonus payments made to a player who:
-represents England and NZ, up to a maximum of say $50k per year; or
-represents any country other than Australia, up to say a total of $100k per year.

This would encourage clubs to recruit non Australian eligible players, allow non Aussie players to be paid more through the club, and encourage non Australian eligible players to declare and play for smaller nations to tap into the exemption. This isn't unfair - it just offsets the payments Aussie players get for Origin and internationals. The Samoan rugby league will never be able to pay players $30k a test, but Brisbane would probably pay Milford that if it was ex-salary cap.

2. Commit to and schedule at least 3 internationals per year for each of NZ, PNG, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.

 

[roughyedspud]

or......



the ARLC could just remove australia eligibility from state of origin...and allow & organize all the pacific nations to play test on ANZAC weekend


that simple rule would allow the likes of BJ LEULIUA to play for NSW and samoa


F***ING SIMPLE....

 

[franklin2323]

So answer this spud. When is Samoa's next test? How much will it cost Leilua to play in a test should they plan 1?

assuming they don't have one. He sits out either hoping to pay for the privledge play for his heritage nation..... Or he sits out hoping a 5 or 6 players fall over & can play for his state & country of birth. The 2 need to go together.

 

[Fonzie]

Roughy, I would rather that than the status quo.

For me Origin at its core is a domestic representative game for Australians (and a bloody great one). So rather than distort that, I'd prefer to try and build up internationals by increasing the player pool and incentive for players to play for other nations. But something has to change from where we are now, because its just wrong that the Samoan coach is talking excitedly about one of his centres staking a claim for origin next year by playing well for Samoa (not having a crack at Parish either - he seems like a good bloke and a top coach).

 

[roughyedspud]

why are you putting a cost on playing for your nation??


if he's,or anyone,sits out a test because they won't get paid.....then id suggest the game is better off without them!!


saying that.... if the 2 nations involved in the test,sell the tv rights,split the game money and then divide that among the players....then fair play to them...


im not opposed to players earning money from the game lol...i actually want the likes of leilua to earn the riches from origin....as well as the pride of playing for his nation of choice

 

[deal.with.it]

Under RLIF laws Australia can pick players from ESL. But their own NGB policies & procedures say differently. Much the same for Aus and NZ in union.
It is up to Australia. They've made their decision.
England could pick Aussies for their side when they play the Exiles or a future Celtic team, because its not a test. Their choice. It would be bizarre. But it's their jurisdiction.

 

[roughyedspud]

but what england would never do is dictate that players must play for lancashire or yorkshire to be eligible for england...

you understand??

ps...theres no such law that states australia could select players from ESL...but u already knew that..

pps....england not picking aussies for a non-test....isn't a "choice"....fml

 

[Evil Homer]

For me Origin at its core is a domestic representative game for Australians (and a bloody great one). So rather than distort that,

It's not 'distorted'. The players all qualify for Origin under the current rules and usually end up playing Origin anyway. You've already got players from Fiji and NZ and PNG playing Origin, the f**k are you talking about 'distorted'? What we're suggesting makes no difference at all to Origin, it doesn't change the player pool, it doesn't change the eligibility rules, it doesn't change anything about it, it just allows players to play international footy as well which is TOTALLY UNRELATED TO ORIGIN. It's unbelievable that so many of you just don't seem to understand this simple concept, or are willing to make vague excuses rather than acknowledging that this is a problem.

 

[Ernest the Sheep]

here's a quick fix, once you play for one nation, that's it, no changing!! But ah, we won't see that, because half the Samoan team wouldn't be making themselves available would they, ah, ah???

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Although players, especially good ones unfortunately, are always going to migrate towards the more glamourous national teams, some sort of match payment scheme would go someway to making long term commitment that more feasible - at least to reduce the financial impetus for nation picking. It's difficult to come up with a good and practical one though. Origin needs to be taxed in some manner and funds rediverted to international football.

----

It seems to me the root cause of just about all international league's problems come from there being little to no benefit for the ARLC/NRL to divert any money towards it. Can anyone blame them? Australia got too good, beat all and sundry, the games don't bring in the money they used to, other leagues can't compete, why bother propping them up?

Only the very pointy end of the ESL and ARLC hierachies will be motivated to correct this and even then with mostly token gestures and half-hearted effort. In doing so you can bet they will be encountering strong opposition from the lower leagues who will do all they can to keep the status quo. Colour me cynical but they are only investing in the Pacific so as to capture some of the talent and send it to the NRL/NSWRL/QRL. This will have some benefit for the Pacific leagues, but only in a feeder club capacity. This is better than nothing though and hopefully it will lead to better outcomes as time goes by.

The game desperately needs more groups like Duco (Auckland 9s) that see an opportunity, have the money, acumen and independence that league so sorely lacks, to innovate and make the important leaps foward.

 

[franklin2323]

here's a quick fix, once you play for one nation, that's it, no changing!! But ah, we won't see that, because half the Samoan team wouldn't be making themselves available would they, ah, ah???

I would love 1 nation for life. There's an example not one is Samoan born so would likely hold out to play for NZ or Australia. They would struggle to fill teams. Is that any better for the game? I am not sure

 

[deluded pom?]

At least they'd be full of players who wanted to play for Samoa rather than NSW or QL.

 

[Evil Homer]

At least they'd be full of players who wanted to play for Samoa rather than NSW or QL.

How do you know the current players don't want to play for Samoa and NSW/Qld? Since they are Samoan and also from NSW/Qld?

 

[franklin2323]

At least they'd be full of players who wanted to play for Samoa rather than NSW or QL.

If they filled a team that is.

Vidot, McGuire, Leilua & Lafai have said they want to play for Australia.

Winterstein, Roberts and Pritchard have played for NZ. Maitua Australia.

That's 8 for starters out of their squad.

We need to fix the structure and funding up to make these heritage sides more appealing as 99% of eligible players aren't Samoan born.

 

[franklin2323]

How do you know the current players don't want to play for Samoa and NSW/Qld? Since they are Samoan and also from NSW/Qld?

Most have said they want to play for Australia down the track