Geoff Carr warns players off Samoa

[skeepe]

Daniel Vidot and Josh McGuire face being barred from Origin if they play for Samoa

• By Steve Ricketts

A RUGBY league "friendly" between Samoa and New Zealand looks set to shatter the State of Origin dreams of young Queenslanders Daniel Vidot and Josh McGuire.

Canberra Raiders star Vidot has been earmarked as a likely replacement for AFL-bound Israel Folau in next year's Origin series, while McGuire is regarded as the best young prop at the Broncos.

Both players shape as 10-year Queensland stars but a hardline stance by the Australian Rugby League means their Origin careers could be over before they start.

Vidot and McGuire are in camp with the Samoan team in Auckland for Saturday's Test against New Zealand at Mt Smart Stadium. If they play, they have effectively turned their backs on Australia.

"If they are ineligible for Australia, they are ineligible for Queensland," ARL chief executive Geoff Carr said.

"It's straightforward. We can't keep downplaying our own game. Saturday's Test is a full international and Vidot and McGuire have elected to play for Samoa. They can't have it both ways."

Queensland coach Mal Meninga blasted the ARL for not looking at the big picture, while Broncos and Raiders officials made moves to warn McGuire and Vidot of what was at stake.

Meninga said that if players like Vidot and McGuire were not selected for Australia, they should be allowed to represent the country of their heritage if they felt strongly enough about it.

"It's not doing the game any good being hard nosed about these things," Meninga said.

"It's a Test, but it's there to give the Kiwis match practice, so why couldn't it have been against an invitational side?

"But Australia is the powerhouse of rugby league and we have to be open-minded about helping other countries."

Meninga said Vidot came into contention for Queensland this year and would be a frontline contender next year.

A product of Brisbane Souths, Vidot is a member of Queensland's Emerging Squad and skipped ahead of Broncos star Jharal Yow Yeh in the pecking order with a strong finish to this season.

McGuire, a former Queensland under-19s rep, finished the year in the Broncos' top squad.

QRL managing director Ross Livermore believed players could apply for Origin reinstatement, as long as they did not play representative football for two years. "That is why [Bronco] Ben Te'o is eligible for Queensland after playing for Samoa in the 2008 World Cup," he said.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/origin-dreams-take-a-big-hit/story-e6frexnr-1225937866116

Don't know what to think to be honest... I can see the argument from both sides.

 

[adamkungl]

Origin should be irrelevant to tests.
Yoiur home state is completely different to your nationaility - your nationality includes where you were born, your heritage, your parents heritage, it can be made up of a number of things. state of origin is nothing like that.
Players should be allowed to represent their country of heritage AND play State of Origin, providing they are actually legitimate NSW/QLDers

 

[skeepe]

Origin should be irrelevant to tests.
Yoiur home state is completely different to your nationaility - your nationality includes where you were born, your heritage, your parents heritage, it can be made up of a number of things. state of origin is nothing like that.
Players should be allowed to represent their country of heritage AND play State of Origin, providing they are actually legitimate NSW/QLDers

Yeah I agree with this.

Daniel Vidot is an Australian. He was born in Australia, and grew up in Brisbane.

He has Samoan heritage, but let's be honest is nowhere near Kangaroos selection. Why shouldn't he be able to strengthen a country that he has legitimate claims to play for, while not ruling himself out of Origin, for which he is as Queensland as they come?

I have to wonder about Geoff Carr's motives here, particularly with the timing. Is Carr seeking to have them withdraw from the match so that he can disrupt New Zealand's warm up for the Four Nations? Or is he seeking to disrupt Queensland for next year's Origin series, given that he is also the CEO of the NSWRL?

 

[Perth Tiger]

It is annoying how RL journos are never getting the facts right. This game isn't a 'friendly' or invitational match. It is a full international and should be treated as such. That means once you elect to play for one country you can't play for another.

In saying that Origin eligibility is a different matter and if they decided to open it up to other nationalities i wouldn't be opposed to that.

 

[franklin2323]

Origin should be irrelevant to tests.
Yoiur home state is completely different to your nationaility - your nationality includes where you were born, your heritage, your parents heritage, it can be made up of a number of things. state of origin is nothing like that.
Players should be allowed to represent their country of heritage AND play State of Origin, providing they are actually legitimate NSW/QLDers

I see no problem with this. IF they aren't choosen for Aust why should they not get a game. I want quality internationals these countries always get ripped apart by the big 3.

Who knows they may enjoy playing for Samoa and stay Samoa eligible

 

[East Coast Tiger]

You can't be from NSW or Qld unless you are from Australia. If you choose to play for Samoa then you choose not to play for any Australian side, country or state. Plenty of players have done it - mostly Kiwis who were born here. If they are truly Samoan they will choose Samoa. If they're not they shouldn't be playing for them anyway. These blokes need to know they have to make a choice. IRL will never get anywhere really if blokes can just pick and choose who they play for depending on their selection prospects. That's not representative football.

 

[CABRA ROCKS]

What Fricken Double Standards !! Why is it Okay for Jennings & Mason, Dymock ,Hopoate & Others to play for Tonga In The Past & play State of Origin ..

 

[Lambretta]

You can't be from NSW or Qld unless you are from Australia.

What an absolute load of drivel.

Heritage rules allow people to represent their parents and grandparents nations. This occurs in all sports. It doesn't mean you have to be born there.

New South Wales and Queensland are STATES - not Nations. State of ORIGIN is all about representing the State you originated from.

The selection should be that and that alone. It should not be tied in any way shape or form to the Nation you represent. State of Origin eligibilty has hamstrung the international game for 20 years and Geoff Carr wants that to continue.

We should be doing everything to grow the International game, not hold it back. Proper test matches, competative test matches, test matches that people ACTUALLY WANT TO WATCH are the one single thing that Rugby Union has as an advantage over Rugby League. In every other facet they are inferior. Yet this is the single reason why Union dominates League around the World. Audience size matters.

Yet here we are desperately trying to shore up one team that doesnt require it to the detriment of the sport as a whole. If that doesn't smack of the worst kind of stupidity then I give up.

 

[hutch]

I see no problem with this. IF they aren't choosen for Aust why should they not get a game. I want quality internationals these countries always get ripped apart by the big 3.

Who knows they may enjoy playing for Samoa and stay Samoa eligible

because thats not how international sport works, that is why we are so far from where we should be as a sport internationally. if these players want to play for samoa then thats great, they are eligible and have every right to, but playing for a country is a commitment not something you do when you miss out on playing for another. you are representing your country, if you would rather wait until you make an australian state and hopefully australia then dont play for another country! the arl are right on this one but they will probably f*ck up again when these players are good enough for origin/australia and will let them switch without serving the stand down period.

east coast tiger is 100% spot on!

 

[hutch]

What an absolute load of drivel.

Heritage rules allow people to represent their parents and grandparents nations. This occurs in all sports. It doesn't mean you have to be born there.

New South Wales and Queensland are STATES - not Nations. State of ORIGIN is all about representing the State you originated from.

The selection should be that and that alone. It should not be tied in any way shape or form to the Nation you represent. State of Origin eligibilty has hamstrung the international game for 20 years and Geoff Carr wants that to continue.

We should be doing everything to grow the International game, not hold it back. Proper test matches, competative test matches, test matches that people ACTUALLY WANT TO WATCH are the one single thing that Rugby Union has as an advantage over Rugby League. In every other facet they are inferior. Yet this is the single reason why Union dominates League around the World. Audience size matters.

Yet here we are desperately trying to shore up one team that doesnt require it to the detriment of the sport as a whole. If that doesn't smack of the worst kind of stupidity then I give up.

how is it drivel? what ect said is exactly right, if you are a new south welshman or a queenslander then you are australian! it doesnt mean that you dont have links to other countries or cant have dual nationality, but you are still australian.

i want international rugby league to prosper, it is my passion in rugby league but i dont want it done the wrong way. if these 2 players want to play for samoa, if they wish to represent their heritage and commit to the country in the way that nathan cayless did for nz then its absolutely great. if they dont want to give up the chance of playing for qld and australia for this purpose then p*ss off and give the samoan jersey to somebody who wants to represent their countries national team. this is not a friendly match, it is a test match between 2 proud nations. lets get it right instead of always taking the easy option!

 

[adamkungl]

You can't be from NSW or Qld unless you are from Australia.

But you can be from Australia and QLD, but born in New Zealand, with heritage from Samoa.

You should be eligible for any one of those countries, and State of Origin should have no bearing on it. Someone's nationaility is very rarely made up of one single country. State on the other hand is mostly one or the other.

The attitude that to be a New South Welschman you have to represent Australia at test level is f**king ridiculous.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Nah. If you want to play Origin you should have to commit yourself as an Australian. Otherwise Origin becomes even more of a farce than it is now with the likes of Inglis playing for the wrong state. If people are allowed to play Origin and Tests for a country other than Australia we;ll end up with players like Pritchard, Puletua, Cayless, Perrett and even Marshall playing for Qld or NSW because they qualify and then playing for New Zealand. It ceases to be Origin and just ends up a joke. But if that's the way people want it then go ahead, ruin Origin, the game might actually be better off without it anyway. One thing is for sure though, if you are a New South Welshman then you are Australian. If you are a Queenslander then you are Australian. If you're Victorian you're not Australian, but that's another story.

 

[Spitty]

The rules are the rules, they are in place so that international eligibilty isn't a massive joke.

Don't blame the rules or the organisation. These players need to decide who they have a passion to represent. Too often the $$$$ of "State of Origin" blind them.

This is a "Test Match" against the current "World Champions", we can't be treating this half-assed. This is the highest honour Samoan rugby league can be given.

 

[Glen from the Mount]

I hope they both play this weekend and then stick with Samoa. It may encourage others to do the same. The more players that walk away from SOO the better for the international game.

 

[Evil Homer]

The rules are the rules, they are in place so that international eligibilty isn't a massive joke.

Really.:crazy:

 

[hutch]

hopefully we get to a point in the near future where origin is played on stand alone weekends which will give other countries an opportunity to play rep matches and tests, and then players can make their choice and stick by it. this is another reason players should not be allowed to play origin and for another country, when the time comes and we have rep weekends mid season all countries should have access to their best players. this is the right day to do things and countries will then be able to develop their national teams without their players abandoning them.

 

[Springs]

Haha. Uate...

Complete hypocrite is Geoff Carr.
No damage will be done to ANYONE whatsoever if Vidot or McGuire are allowed to play Origin next year, just as no damage would be done allowing Costigan to play for PNG this year.

 

[mikail-eagle]

I think both of them might have already made up their minds to go with Samoa.

I mean they are already in camp aren't they ? And this while knowing very well that they would be jearpodising their they orgin chances.

I say its about time more young future stars shun origin and go with heritage country for the good of the international game.

 

[Mr Angry]

Thought/knew hutch would be all over this.

And I agree with him, just because it was allowed in the past does not mean it should be in the future.

 

[hutch]

I hope they both play this weekend and then stick with Samoa. It may encourage others to do the same. The more players that walk away from SOO the better for the international game.

that would be great if they did stick with samoa, they shouldnt have a choice really or at least know that if they represent samoa then it is a long wait if they wish to switch. hopefully they are playing for samoa for the right reasons but until we have concrete rules regarding switching nations in place then dont expect players such as vidot and maguire to stick with samoa.