Geoff Carr warns players off Samoa

[KeepingTheFaith]

If there ever are mid-season rep weekends and there are pacific island tests played on the same weekend as Origin, think about it. Either Tonga will play Samoa at Parramatta Stadium or at a tiny ground in either country, or they will play as a curtain raiser to the Origin match. All this while the entire country's attention will be on the Origin match. Players will still choose Origin over their nation of heritage. I don't see how having 'rep weekends' with minnows playing will entice them anymore than having meaningful tests at the end of the year like there are now.
It's a pretty simple solution for strengthening the pacific islands. Separate Origin from tests.

And didn't Gareth Widdop play for the NSW Residents side or something? And then played for England? Why is it only representing the state at Origin level that ties you to your country? In fact how did Uate represent the Australian Prime Minister's XIII when he was not eligible? Don't give me that crap about it's just an invitational side it doesn't mean anything etc. He still wore the green and gold, played in a team called Australia, and represented the country on foreign soil against another nation.

This is what bothers me about the way the ARL does things. There's supposed to be a 3 year residency rule and yet SBW, Benji Marshall etc were thrown into NSW age rep teams and Australian schoolboys etc within a year of coming over here.

Can hardly blame the players who at 16-17 years old are going to take every opportunity they can to get attention and increase their chances of making a career in the NRL.

Origin was about state pride, the chance to represent where you're from rather than where you're forced to play. Now it's just used as a bargaining chip to lure as many mercenaries over to their side as possible.

 

[bender]

the uate situation is a joke, on what grounds have the rlif (arl) allowed him to switch not even a year after playing for fiji? he should be locked into fiji anyway, but even with our pathetic rules he still isnt eligible until november 2011 which rules him out of next years origin as well if the arl insist on having origin players eligible for australia.

Not sticking up for anyone, but isnt their some type of ridiculous one switch only for exceptional circumstances which allows the two year period to be breached. I am not certain, but i think this was one of the rules (but it couldnt be used if you had played for two countries).

 

[deluded pom?]

Question. if rugby league is so much more popular than rugby union in Australia then why is it a Bledisloe Cup match will draw a full house wherever they play but a Kangaroos v Kiwis game will get half that amount? It's because rugby union has worked out that international sport puts bums on seats and brings with it a much higher media profile than the sport really deserves. Plenty of people care that Australia are playing but don't give a toss about some suburb of Sydney. Until we take the international game seriously and try to grow it, even if that means Australia might lose a series or two or a WC here and there, then we'll just be watching the same old same old. If SoO is the be all and end all then at the end of the day we'll get what we deserve. Congratulations on winning everything yet again Australia.

 

[Evil Homer]

Like it or not, any rep match below NRL level is just a developmental tool. SBW played for the NSWU19's.

And the PMXIII, NZ Maori, the Indigenous All Stars, etc etc, ARE invitational and represent heritage, not a nation.

To you, just because they wore green and gold does not mean they are Australian.

You say this, yet the exact same thing applies to Origin. It is a representative match, not an international match. This is a concept that a lot of people including the ARL administrators seem unable to understand. I couldn't care less who plays Origin, it's a meaningless match as far as I'm concerned. If they selected Burgess, Uate or whoever I wouldn't bat an eyelid so long as those players continued to play for their native country. The only thing stopping this currently is the bizarre claim that players will be blacklisted for two years from Origin if they play for a different international side, essentially Geoff Carr is treating Origin as if it's an international match. Now either Carr is completely incompetent and can't understand the difference between the two, or he's corrupt and is maliciously using Origin as a way of bribing players and ensuring Australian dominance is maintained. Judging from his previous record it's probably a combination of the two. Either way he needs to be removed from power ASAP along with the other clowns who run RL in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

[Didgi]

No, im saying that once a player plays a test for his nation, he plays for that nation for life. Again I use Feleti Mateo as an example.
That way, a guy like Robbie Farah or Hazem El Masri would never have played Origin, Lebanon would be much stronger. Antonio Kaifusi would never have played for Queensland and only played for Tonga, Vagana would never have played for NZ just Samoa, Fui Fui would never have played for NZ just Tonga.
If anything, your "solution" would make it more of a farce. Sure it keeps all the players happy being able to play for who ever they want, but its more then the players.

Do you really think that someone of the calibre of Robbie Farah would prefer to play for Lebanon than NSW? In the players eyes, state > small country. So players eligible for both will continue to choose SOO, because there is more appeal there.

Apart from the minority of players who would choose their country over SOO ( and these are normally the lesser ones who probably wouldn't make SOO) their priorities are
1. State of Origin - fame, wealth, etc.
2. Minnow country - one test a year v another minnow.

So, for the majority of these players, the only way you can get them to play for their country is to allow both. The rules are already a joke, this would maintain the standard of comedy but improve developing nations, so that they become stronger, and then, down the track, players may choose to represent them of their own accord, without playing SOO, because their country now plays a worthwhile amount of games.

 

[franklin2323]

Well it worked Vidot won't play for Samoa on the wkd. Sorry can't find a link it was in the telegraph.

4 times in the article he said he really wants to play for QLD. Not once did he mention wanting to play for Australia.

It disgusts me that players like him, hunt, Thorn, Costigan, Uate could be playing for Aust over players who want to bleed for the jersey not just want a maroon jersey and get picked on the back of good performances.

The prior poster is right emerging players wont play for the weaker countries just wait to see where they stand for NZ, SOO etc.

 

[adamkungl]

Cayless was born in NSW to New Zealander parents.

He has always considered himself a KIWI.

Excellent, this illustrates the problem perfectly.

We have Karmichael Hunt, who moved to Aus when he was 11, as a QLDer and Australian rep.

But Nathan Cayless, who has lived his life in Rugby League heartland in Parramatta, NEW SOUTH WALES, is apparently not a New South Welshman because he decided to represent his heritage at a completely different level of rep football. We have people like ECT saying if Cayless was to play for NSW, "It ceases to be Origin and just ends up a joke".

ECT - please explain how Cayless is not a New South Welshman and Hunt is a QLDer. This is the joke, imo.

 

[skeepe]

In the Canberra Times today, it states that the RLIF has given Daniel Vidot a verbal undertaking that playing for Samoa in this match would have no effect on his Australian eligibility.

The ARL told the RLIF to go shove it basically, saying that they would ignore any such undertakings and deem him ineligible if he played.

 

[welshmagpie]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/...d-origin-chances/story-e6frf3ou-1225938463175


"I think it's a bit sad that international rules don't allow me to play for Samoa if I want to play Origin. They are not a dominant country in rugby league and the presence of NRL players will only help with their development.

"That situation could be reviewed only if the players made themselves unavailable for Samoa for two years.

It is believed McGuire will play against New Zealand because, as a 20-year-old prop, he believes he is some way off playing Origin."

-
In reference to the quotes from the article

1. Daniel Vidot is spot on
2. Unfortunately, like fu*k does anyone stick to that rule
3. Well done Josh McGuire.

 

[franklin2323]

In the Canberra Times today, it states that the RLIF has given Daniel Vidot a verbal undertaking that playing for Samoa in this match would have no effect on his Australian eligibility.

The ARL told the RLIF to go shove it basically, saying that they would ignore any such undertakings and deem him ineligible if he played.

As they always do. NZ, Aus always steal islander players. Eng even pinch other GB players it's rubbish

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Do you think we need a Pacific Islands team to coincide with State of Origin?

Im all for an Origin stand alone weekend, as long we have other representitive matches on the same weekend.

A Pacific Islands team would be perfect and could prevent players switching countries.

 

[skeepe]

Do you think we need a Pacific Islands team to coincide with State of Origin?

Im all for an Origin stand alone weekend, as long we have other representitive matches on the same weekend.

A Pacific Islands team would be perfect and could prevent players switching countries.

That'd work I think.

NSW vs Qld
NZ vs Pacific Islands

Would be a great weekend of footy.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Origin was about state pride, the chance to represent where you're from rather than where you're forced to play. Now it's just used as a bargaining chip to lure as many mercenaries over to their side as possible.

Weve even got Victorians and NT players representing NSW and Queensland. :roll:

Widdop wouldnt be considered NSWelshman or a Queenslander, cause he's born in England, came to Australia when he was 15, played junior footy in Victoria and currently plays for Melbourne. But somehow the ARL has made him eligible for NSW. Its making Origin a farce.

Good on him for pledging his eligances to England.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

NSW vs Qld
NZ vs Pacific Islands

Spot on Skeepe. Imagine the crowds they'd get over there.

 

[franklin2323]

Do you think we need a Pacific Islands team to coincide with State of Origin?

Im all for an Origin stand alone weekend, as long we have other representitive matches on the same weekend.

A Pacific Islands team would be perfect and could prevent players switching countries.

That would work give them regular games and the hold of SOO goes away. Also the Pacific team could have a rule like need to play for 2 years or something to be eligible

 

[timka4]

Is the Independent Comission looking to fix this pathetic International situation up? or isn't it on their "fix it" list

 

[Evil Homer]

Is the Independent Comission looking to fix this pathetic International situation up? or isn't it on their "fix it" list

I'm not entirely sure what the 'Independent Comission' is supposed to be or what it's remit is, but it has nothing to do with the international game. If it's supposed to look after Origin, then it may improve things indirectly, or may make them worse. If it means giving more power to Geoff Carr and his cronies then it will inevitably make things a lot worse.

 

[nqcowboy87]

players from emerging nationas need to be eligible to play origin, players from the big two (nz and englnad) however shouldnt. hypothetical and this purely hypothetical, lets say isaac de gois plays for portugal and then the next year he has an absolute blinder of a season and both farah and ennis are injured/suspended. he will not be allowed to play for nsw because he played for portugal (thats right portugal) the year before. same applies to fiji, samoa etc. there needs to be some sort of system in place over the current ones. the smaller nationas cant afford to pick mainly local players a otherwise they will get beaten 9 times out of ten. even the union world cup which despite what people say is actually stronger, the minnow nations mainly source their players from the more proffessional overseas comps such as the french top 14. let a player like vidot play for samoa in a couple of years let him play for australia or queensland but players shouldnt be locked into one nation given the de gois hypothetical i raised at the beginning.

 

[Evil Homer]

Portugal don't have a team. Players should only be able to play for one nation, and Origin shouldn't have any effect on anything.

 

[Scorpio30]

Queenslander Vidot quits Samoa to chase Origin dream



NZPA


Last updated 14:42 14/10/2010
Share
Print
Text Size

Getty Images
CONFLICT: Daniel Vidot has pulled out of Samoa's historic first rugby league international.

Samoa's preparations for a historic first rugby league international against the Kiwis have hit a snag after Canberra Raiders wing Daniel Vidot's belated decision to pledge his allegiance to Queensland.
Vidot has been in Auckland with the Samoan camp since last weekend preparing for Saturday's test against the Kiwis at Mt Smart Stadium but yesterday decided to pull out when realising a test cap for Samoa would jeopardise his eligibility to play State of Origin for Queensland.
Australian Rugby League chief executive Geoff Carr said because the match - a warm-up for the Kiwis ahead of the Four Nations tournament - was deemed a test, Vidot would not be eligible to play for Australia, and therefore unable to play for the Maroons, unless he subsequently made himself unavailable for Samoa for two years.
Rather than contemplate that stand down period the Brisbane-born 20-year-old understandably opted to focus on Queensland given Israel Folau's defection to Aussie Rules opens up a backline spot next season.
"I think it's a bit sad that international rules don't allow me to play for Samoa if I want to play Origin," he told The Courier Mail newspaper.
"They are not a dominant country in rugby league and the presence of NRL players will only help with their development."
Vidot admitted it would be hard to leave the camp.
"I've developed a close bond with the players and I've already learnt the Samoan haka but I understand that if I get picked for Queensland the only country I can represent is Australia, and that is my ultimate aim."
Vidot was named in the 19-man squad last week and could be replaced by one of five Samoa-based players on stand-by.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/4233407/Queenslander-Vidot-quits-Samoa-to-chase-Origin-dream