As Australians what do you think ?

[Mixmasterreece]

This is in reference to Kafusi being picked for the Roos.

Now this isnt a moan about the eligibility of Kafusi and the fact that he hasnt opted to play for the Kiwis. Hay I think the guys a great player but if he doesnt feel like a kiwi, hes not a kiwi

Kafusi made a comment in the SMH that has puzzled me slightly :
http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/m...over-haka-rages/2006/10/17/1160850932681.html

"Kaufusi is also of Tongan heritage but was born in New Zealand and did not move to Australia until he was 14 years old.
The 21-year-old prop said Storm teammate David Kidwell had urged him to play for New Zealand and even got him to talk to Kiwis coach Brian McClennan after the NRL grand final.

"I had a chat to Brian, he asked for my thoughts and I told him my heart was set on playing for Queensland," Kaufusi said. "I didn't think I'd get named in the [Australian] squad. It's unbelievable. I am very excited."

"I had my heart set on playing for Queensland"? Not "I had my heart set on playing for Aussie" ?

Does it at all bother you that a guy who was born and lived in NZ for 14 years, moves to Australia, decides he wants to play for QLD and makes the Aussie team by default ?

As Australians are you bothered by this at all ? Does it bother you that the guy has changed his eligibility as he is passionate about the Maroon jersey but not necessarily the Green and Gold ?

And if your wondering about my avatar, well I lost a bet to another forumer...

 

[Kurt Angle]

It means NZ as a sporting nation has to step up to the plate, and place the appropriate pride the kiwi jersey deserves.

Stop taking the soft option in Union, and set their sights higher by being the best at Rugby League.

 

[mean_maori_mean]

Seems to be a general consensus on here, which is quite rare. Agree about Tupou, he really needs to do some work on his handling skills,

Please what kaka, I was at the auckland game, you dont' NZ'ers with were happpy with smashing the living daylights out of wannabe aussies special K(aka) and Big Chin Mason. That gave us more pride than anything. As long we beat the pommies and make final.

you's can have Kafauisi - we've got the real Asotasi not a wannabe. Only reason he was picked at this stage was to stop him getting picked by NZ

Fair enough if he want to play for Queensland, he'll play a max of 3 games and he end up playing for Tonga at the world cup.

 

[Blaze]

Isn't that what Hunt said? He had his heart set on playing for Qld, not Australia?

 

[hutch]

i thought he was over here earlier than 14, have read elsewhere he was born in tonga, moved to nz young then aus and raised in bundaberg.

to answer the original question, as an australian what do i think?

if he considers himself an australian and wants to play for australia then good on him. unlike some others who bitch and moan on here, i beleive your nationality doesnt come down to where you are born, its your choice. if he is a proud australian then good on him. little bit concerned about the quote that he had his heart set on qld. he could have said qld and australia.

 

[Azkatro]

If Irene Van Dyk is allowed to be a Kiwi ...

 

[Mixmasterreece]

If Irene Van Dyk is allowed to be a Kiwi ...

The question I raised is nothing to do with whether he is a kiwi or an aussie. Its more of a question on hoow you feel that he has had his heart set on a QLD jersey and not necessarily an Aussie one.

 

[griff]

The question I raised is nothing to do with whether he is a kiwi or an aussie. Its more of a question on hoow you feel that he has had his heart set on a QLD jersey and not necessarily an Aussie one.

We need to change the eligibility criteria for Origin to make people like Kaufusi ineligible in order to force them to play for countries other than Australia and therefore strengthen international RL.

 

[expansionist]

Back to the original thead question - the answer is so damn annoying to me....all of this mess could be cleaned up with 1 rule change.

If you let players play for QLD or NSW and be eligible for another nation all this whole problem would go away.

Hunt, Carroll, Kaufusi - the common thread is here is that they say they are QLDers, but from NZ. And look these days, why not?

What a win win situation, the international game gets better and the eligibility issue gets clearer.

 

[Martli]

How can you be passionate Queenslander as well as being a Passionate New Zealander though. That's what gets me.

 

[Pierced Soul]

a lot of players talk about having their hearts set on origin ahead of for Australia. it's cos Origin has become the ultimate spectacle whereas tests are lacking. I remember tooky many years ago being encouraged to play for NZ whilst he was playing with the warriors and he said he wouldnt cos he wanted to play for qld, not cos he wanted to play for Australia.

i dont necessarily think you should force a player who is eligible to play for australia to play for another nation. If a player came to australia (or NZ) when young and learnt the game there then they may have an affinity for playing for who they learnt the game.

 

[Dajoh]

This is in reference to Kafusi being picked for the Roos.

Now this isnt a moan about the eligibility of Kafusi and the fact that he hasnt opted to play for the Kiwis. Hay I think the guys a great player but if he doesnt feel like a kiwi, hes not a kiwi

Kafusi made a comment in the SMH that has puzzled me slightly :
http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/maitua-out-tupou-in-as-war-of-words-over-haka-rages/2006/10/17/1160850932681.html

"Kaufusi is also of Tongan heritage but was born in New Zealand and did not move to Australia until he was 14 years old.
The 21-year-old prop said Storm teammate David Kidwell had urged him to play for New Zealand and even got him to talk to Kiwis coach Brian McClennan after the NRL grand final.

"I had a chat to Brian, he asked for my thoughts and I told him my heart was set on playing for Queensland," Kaufusi said. "I didn't think I'd get named in the [Australian] squad. It's unbelievable. I am very excited."

"I had my heart set on playing for Queensland"? Not "I had my heart set on playing for Aussie" ?

Does it at all bother you that a guy who was born and lived in NZ for 14 years, moves to Australia, decides he wants to play for QLD and makes the Aussie team by default ?

As Australians are you bothered by this at all ? Does it bother you that the guy has changed his eligibility as he is passionate about the Maroon jersey but not necessarily the Green and Gold ?

And if your wondering about my avatar, well I lost a bet to another forumer...

If the guy wants to play for Qld, good on him, and even better that he got picked for the Aussie team. If these NZ born players, of other ethnic background, want to play for Aussie, that is their choice. NZ need to look closer to home, and further afield for young promising players to be developed for the kiwi team.

 

[yobbo84]

Brent Webb. Frank Pritchard. Nathan Fien. The whole selection criteria is a joke.

 

[Martli]

Brent Webb. Frank Pritchard. Nathan Fien. The whole selection criteria is a joke.

And the cycle of mindless arguments continues.

 

[innsaneink]

Personally I cant get my head around all this, I guess someone maybe that was born in another country then moved and gained citizenship of their new home, it would be easier...I dunno.....I think a lot of players are being selfish because lax rules allow them to be.
I wonder what kaufusi considers himself as a person before a pro sportsman...., Aussie, Kiwi or QLDer?

 

[yobbo84]

And the cycle of mindless arguments continues.

I'm not having a go at them or NZ...it's just the criteria is a joke. You should play for the country of which you have citizenship. Simple.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Mason, Hunt, Carroll, Thorn, Kaufusi, Fien, Webb, Pritchard, J Cayless, N Cayless etc etc. Who gives a sh*t. Anyone player or fans who accuses the other team about eligibility is kidding themselves. Reni Maitua came out today and said Webb shouldn't be allowed to play for NZ and yet he'd happily play alongside the aformentioned players. I think he's been taking Mason's media lessons on how to speak without thinking first.

I must admit the whole thing with Hunt and Kaufusi saying they dreamed of playing for QLD does bother me a bit. It doesn't bother me that they turn out for Australia, but that SOO is more important than Test football. I'm not arguing that SOO is more competitve or a better spectacle, but as a passionate league fan it bothers me because while it might be good for Australia, league will never grow beyond there on the back of QLD V NSW. Putting so much attention on SOO while ignoring test rugby league is going to end up hurting the game in the long run.

I suppose the arguement could also be made that if those players who turned down NZ for SOO played for the kiwis then they'd consistently have a better team and therefore making internationals a more appealing game. I guess we'll never know the answer to that one.

I think it wouldn't be a bad thing if certain players were allowed to play SOO but also represent NZ. Someone like Sonny Bill was brought to Australia by the Dogs specifically to play rugby league. That should rule him ineligible. Where as Hunt (before he played for Australia) came over to QLD for personal reasons (family moving etc) and therefore it would be easy to understand how he could have a love for both NZ and QLD.

I've lived in QLD for 6 years and I love it here, which is obviously why I'm still here. I'd have no second thoughts about it, I'd represent QLD in a sport if I was asked to. Having said that if it meant I could never represent NZ then once again I wouldn't think about it and the answer would be no. I'll always be a Kiwi but that doesn't mean I don't take pride in what QLD does because regardless of where I was born QLD is a part of me and my life.

 

[bonestorm]

I think you guys are taking the Kaufusi quote out of context a little. He said he had his heart set on playing for Queensland. Then he says "I didn't think I'd get named in the Australian squad".

What this means is, his next goal was to play State of Origin in 2007, not for Australia in 2006. Most players are selected for their state before their country, and he probably thought he would have to prove himself at SOO level before thinking about playing for Australia.

Hence the comment "I had a chat to Brian, he asked for my thoughts and I told him my heart was set on playing for Queensland". I'm sure if he thought he was a chance of being selected for the 2006 Tri-Series he would have said "I want to play for Australia".

 

[douglasallen91]

good on kaufisi!

 

[douglasallen91]

I'm not having a go at them or NZ...it's just the criteria is a joke. You should play for the country of which you have citizenship. Simple.

not that easy what if you have dual citizenship!