Dont ever takeyour international jersey for granted!!!

[welshmagpie]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/aku-keen-on-being-a-blue-or-roo-20100804-11fp5.html

really boils my blood!

 

[crimpo]

You can't even be surprised any more. His chances of playing for Australia? But then of course if he doesn't he'll become a born-again Fijian (or he'll come to SL and miraculously become English!)

 

[Evil Homer]

Has Uate actually said he wants to play for Australia? Or is it just the arrogant Origin-centric media assuming that everyone wants to be Australian as usual?

 

[100%green]

I think they should make Origin and Test qualifications different. Let's face it most of these players for the Pacific will first appear in NSW or QLD comps. So why not make any of these players (SBW, Hunt were great examples, Uate, Folau, Farrer etc....) be able to be available for either Origin team. Then at the Anzac Test or Pacific Cup they can play for their Birth or Family country???

Doesn't seem that hard to me.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

No way would the ARL do that. Why would we make a rule that could weaken our national side? We want the best players, we have a jewel in SOO to draw those best players in. If a player is eligible for us and someone else, its their choice as long as we are within the rules.

We dont make the eligibility rules.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

No way would the ARL do that. Why would we make a rule that could weaken our national side? We want the best players, we have a jewel in SOO to draw those best players in. If a player is eligible for us and someone else, its their choice as long as we are within the rules.

We dont make the eligibility rules.

 

[Evil Homer]

No way would the ARL do that. Why would we make a rule that could weaken our national side? We want the best players, we have a jewel in SOO to draw those best players in. If a player is eligible for us and someone else, its their choice as long as we are within the rules.

We dont make the eligibility rules.

Australia does make the eligibility rules for Origin. Honestly though there's nothing stopping Uate playing Origin and then for Fiji at the end of the year, since Origin isn't an international match. If the ARL don't like it, tell them where to shove it.

At the moment, Origin is a scourge on the international game.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Australia does make the eligibility rules for Origin. Honestly though there's nothing stopping Uate playing Origin and then for Fiji at the end of the year, since Origin isn't an international match. If the ARL don't like it, tell them where to shove it.

At the moment, Origin is a scourge on the international game.

Only because the rules are so weak, its easy for a player to represent more then one country. Origin isnt a scourge, the international rules are.

The ARL make the rules for Origin, you must be eligible for Australia to play SOO. Its one of our tools we use to develop players for our national team, why should we help other countries by allowing their players play in it?

The only fair ways for Fiji to keep Uate (as an example) is for the eligibility rules to be tightened (an RLIF problem) or for Fiji to have more meaningful matches (also, and RLIF problem)

 

[Evil Homer]

Only because the rules are so weak, its easy for a player to represent more then one country. Origin isnt a scourge, the international rules are.

The ARL make the rules for Origin, you must be eligible for Australia to play SOO. Its one of our tools we use to develop players for our national team, why should we help other countries by allowing their players play in it?

The only fair ways for Fiji to keep Uate (as an example) is for the eligibility rules to be tightened (an RLIF problem) or for Fiji to have more meaningful matches (also, and RLIF problem)

For the good of the game as a whole maybe? Not a concept most Australians are too familiar with, admittedly.

I agree the eligibility rules should be tightened but we don't even have a governing body to enforce them. If a bloke like Uate was selected for NSW next year though, that wouldn't rule him out of playing for Fiji, just as Costigan is pefectly able to feature for PNG in this year's 4N. The only thing that would rule these players out would be if they were selected and played for Australia, or if they declared that they were no longer going to play for their native nations. Simply playing Origin does not mean anything, even if the eligibility rules for Origin say that a player must be committed for Australia (which I'm not sure they do), they could still go back on that and play for their native nation at the end of the year since it's an ARL and not an international tournament. The player would not be ineligibile after playing Origin.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Granted, that is a loophole. A player could pledge his loyalty to Aus and NSW, but then switch after State of Origin. But I wouldn't be surprised if that loophole is actually closed already by the ARL.

You cant expect the ARL to make alterations to their competition (Origin) for the good of the game. It would be nice but you cant begrudge them for it. If it had financial benefits for other nations then yes I think they should, but in this instance, Origin's purpose is a tool to develop players for the Kangaroos.

 

[deluded pom?]

We dont make the eligibility rules.

Have you checked out who's on the RLIF board lately?

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Have you checked out who's on the RLIF board lately?

Yes, im well aware of the conflict of interest. Solutions?

 

[deluded pom?]

A totally independent RLIF whose remit is the welfare of the game as a whole worldwide not just in England and Australia. So you do agree it is a conflict of interests then? Love and Gallop are terrified of upsetting the NRL clubs.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

A totally independent RLIF whose remit is the welfare of the game as a whole worldwide not just in England and Australia.

Yeah.......how are we going to get that?

So you do agree it is a conflict of interests then?

Hell yes there is, but again, solutions? and how do we implement them?

 

[deluded pom?]

Yeah.......how are we going to get that?



Hell yes there is, but again, solutions? and how do we implement them?

Surely one would cure the other? Why can't former patrons of leagues be put forward as RLIF board members. People who no longer have to kowtow to the SLE or the NRL because they are independent of them?

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Surely one would cure the other? Why can't former patrons of leagues be put forward as RLIF board members. People who no longer have to kowtow to the SLE or the NRL because they are independent of them?

Im not disagreeing, I think we need an independent board to run International footy aswell, but how are we going to get the powers that be to give up their power?

Here in the NRL, the clubs have power, they are now using that power to take control of the game. How can we get a similar result in Int RL? Only options I can see is for the 2nd teir nations to make a stand or to wait and hope for the current RLIF board members to feel generous.

 

[roopy]

You can't blame Uate for wanting to make as much money as he can from his talent.

He'd swear on a stack of bibles that he was a natural born Martian for the chance to earn a few hundred K - all the players would - so would I - so would you.

If Uate doesn't make serious money in this way, he will be making serious money playing for the wallabies when his contract is up.

 

[hutch]

its simple, he shouldnt ever be eligible for nsw. its just too bad, i dont care if he is the best player in the world, he plays for fiji and fiji only. he made the decision a few years ago and should stick by it. the arl, nswrl simply should not even have the option of selecting him.

it would help if fiji had a few more meaningful games to play each year as well, mid and post nrl season!

 

[RedVee]

Has Uate actually said he wants to play for Australia? Or is it just the arrogant Origin-centric media assuming that everyone wants to be Australian as usual?

The article I read had quotes attributed to Uate, so I guess he has.
Wants to play for NSW and Aust to secure the future of his family, or similar.

The thing is that a lot of Islanders come to Oz and NZ as young kids so they are either permanent residents or citizens of OZ and NZ. If he hadn't chosen Fiji for the WC then we wouldn't be having this discussion, he would be a NSW player of Fijian heritage. A rare thing actually, it seems NZedders and Islanders in NSW seem to chose NZ, while those in QLD seem to choose QLD.

 

[nadera78]

Uate played for Fiji last year so on what basis would he be allowed to switch? Genuine question. Surely you can't give someone permission to change just because they now want to play for someone else? there has to be more to it than that.