Costigan can't play for PNG

[roughyedspud]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...neville-costigan/story-e6frepbx-1225878635397

But ARL chief executive Geoff Carr said yesterday Costigan had to be available for Australia given he is back playing Origin and a new representative cycle has started.

"Neville is lucky he didn't play for PNG in last year's Pacific Cup or he would not be playing Origin," Carr said.

Uate played for Fiji in last years pacific cup you thick c***!!

 

[deluded pom?]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...neville-costigan/story-e6frepbx-1225878635397




Uate played for Fiji in last years pacific cup you thick c***!!

Correction 'spud. "you thick selective c***!!"

 

[jim_57]

"Neville is lucky he didn't play for PNG in last year's Pacific Cup or he would not be playing Origin," Carr said.

... and that says it all. They think Origin is the only important thing.

 

[deluded pom?]

I went into the supermarket the other day and I thought they'd named a loaf after Geoff Carr. Then I realised it said thick cut.

 

[deluded pom?]

So why wasn't Costigan blocked from playing for QL in the SoO when the ARL knew full well he had played for PNG in the new WC cycle? Instead they let him play citing that SoO players have to commit to Australia to be able to play SoO when he shouldn't have been allowed to play. It's their c**k up but they expect Costigan to carry the can for them.

 

[Evil Homer]

Unbelievable that Geoff Carr is being allowed to get away with this. The guy is an absolute scourge on RL.

 

[hutch]

costigan hasnt played for png since the world cup and after the world cup apparently everything resets and you can choose again as ridiculous as that sounds. this is the reason hayne was allowed to switch back to australia so quickly.

uate played for fiji in october last year right, so even if he serves his 2 year stand down he should not be eligible for nsw and australia until october 2011. lets see if they stick to the stand down rule then, i bet you they wont!

 

[deluded pom?]

Sorry, I stand corrected about Costigan playing for PNG at the PC.

 

[Matua]

As a NZer the concept of Origin frustrates me. Over here it is often seen as a tool to lure NZ players over to Oz. Now I understand that it wasn't designed in this way whatsoever, but the reality of now seems to reflect that. Rugby League has big problems when the pinnacle of the game is Origin and not international football. Hunt is a clear identifiable case, he wanted to play Origin so therefore had to play for Oz. Benji and SBW were courted for Origin but thankfully decided to stay with NZ. Added to that the Junior Kangaroos selectors always choosing Kiwi players (often on scholarship in Oz schools), it becomes clear to NZ fans that Oz really don't want to foster the international game (or at the least have the international game be competitive).

For a number of years in NZ Origin was very popular but that is declining, in part because we don't really have any reasons to support one team or the other, and in part due to the fact that there are quite a few Kiwi players running around that we don't get to see.

I know that a lot of Aussies will hate this idea, but what if Origin just becomes a state rep comp? That way a guy like SBW could play for NSW and the Kiwis, which in turn would have kept him in League (despite the fact I look forward to seeing him play for the ABs). Same too Benji Marshall, if Origin is this great pinnacle then shouldn't it include the best players in the NRL? Before Queensland recent dominance of Origin I thought it would have made sense to include the Warriors as part of Queensland, because lets face it, the Warriors are part of the NRL and as such are an part of Oz league. What happens if we lure a 17 year old Aussie kid over and he starts out in NZ, who is he eligible for? Of course this plan would work better now with the Warriors as part of NSW.

The way things are now, with the Uate case is just completely idiotic. FFS, let Costigan play for PNG. Let Uate play for Fiji and NSW.

I want to see a strong international game, and I want young Kiwi players who get enticed over to Oz as 16 year old's on scholarship still represent NZ - opening up Origin would do that. And if Oz is this greatest league country you shouldn't have too worry about the game being taken over by Kiwi's and PIs.

 

[Evil Homer]

It is a state rep comp. There's no reason that any of those players can't play for their nations, other than Australia have told the nations that they can't select them. It's akin to England saying that Australia are not allowed to select Inglis and Slater. If Uate, Costigan and the others are selected for their native countries and want to play, there's nothing Australia could do.

 

[Matua]

It is a state rep comp. There's no reason that any of those players can't play for their nations, other than Australia have told the nations that they can't select them. It's akin to England saying that Australia are not allowed to select Inglis and Slater. If Uate, Costigan and the others are selected for their native countries and want to play, there's nothing Australia could do.

It would have been interesting if NSW had selected SBW back in the day, I remember Gould saying they should just select him and let the cards fall where they landed. Gould was the one advocating for opening up origin because of the Marshalls and the SBWs.

I think the key leverage the Aussies are using is by not letting the 'players' play origin if the represent another country.

 

[siv]

Clarification

Has Costigan represented Australia since 2008 RLWC ?

 

[Perth Red]

I think players have to nominate a country, and ARL insists they nominate Australia to be picked for SOO. So Costigan, even though he hasn't represented Australia and in theory could play for PNG if he wanted would have nominated Australia as his preferred country so that he got picked for SOO. Its crazy and only in RL would we damage an International focus to strengthen 3 games a year that involve two states.

 

[adamkungl]

As a NZer the concept of Origin frustrates me. Over here it is often seen as a tool to lure NZ players over to Oz. Now I understand that it wasn't designed in this way whatsoever, but the reality of now seems to reflect that. Rugby League has big problems when the pinnacle of the game is Origin and not international football. Hunt is a clear identifiable case, he wanted to play Origin so therefore had to play for Oz. Benji and SBW were courted for Origin but thankfully decided to stay with NZ. Added to that the Junior Kangaroos selectors always choosing Kiwi players (often on scholarship in Oz schools), it becomes clear to NZ fans that Oz really don't want to foster the international game (or at the least have the international game be competitive).

For a number of years in NZ Origin was very popular but that is declining, in part because we don't really have any reasons to support one team or the other, and in part due to the fact that there are quite a few Kiwi players running around that we don't get to see.

I know that a lot of Aussies will hate this idea, but what if Origin just becomes a state rep comp? That way a guy like SBW could play for NSW and the Kiwis, which in turn would have kept him in League (despite the fact I look forward to seeing him play for the ABs). Same too Benji Marshall, if Origin is this great pinnacle then shouldn't it include the best players in the NRL? Before Queensland recent dominance of Origin I thought it would have made sense to include the Warriors as part of Queensland, because lets face it, the Warriors are part of the NRL and as such are an part of Oz league. What happens if we lure a 17 year old Aussie kid over and he starts out in NZ, who is he eligible for? Of course this plan would work better now with the Warriors as part of NSW.

The way things are now, with the Uate case is just completely idiotic. FFS, let Costigan play for PNG. Let Uate play for Fiji and NSW.

I want to see a strong international game, and I want young Kiwi players who get enticed over to Oz as 16 year old's on scholarship still represent NZ - opening up Origin would do that. And if Oz is this greatest league country you shouldn't have too worry about the game being taken over by Kiwi's and PIs.

I'm an advocate of being allowed to play Origin and for a country other than Australia, if they are actually from NSW or QLD. But Marshall and SBW simply aren't NSW boys, having moved here when they were 15 and 17 respectively. If they were selected, Origin WOULD be a farce.