James Tamou - allegiance

[Aragorn]

League is a professional sport - they get paid $ to play, its their bread and butter.... thats why you lot riddiculing players for making decisions based on pay are delusional.

 

[hitman82]

League is a professional sport - they get paid $ to play, its their bread and butter.... thats why you lot riddiculing players for making decisions based on pay are delusional.

Fair opinion.

*ridiculing

 

[ozbash]

League is a professional sport - they get paid $ to play, its their bread and butter.... thats why you lot riddiculing players for making decisions based on pay are delusional.

not so.

Tamou must feel pain, kiwi pain...

 

[_addict]

League is a professional sport - they get paid $ to play, its their bread and butter.... thats why you lot riddiculing players for making decisions based on pay are delusional.

Go away rather quickly. If that's the case there is no point to national sides.

 

[Aragorn]

Go away rather quickly. If that's the case there is no point to national sides.

yes there is, but national sides that make sense eg your country of birth

isnt that how the soccer mad nations do it?

 

[_addict]

So the national bodies are just glorified clubs?

 

[aqua_duck]

Actually, it's exactly the same thing.

Arguably, Fien and Webb were less of a joke, as they chose to represent their adopted country. Tamou himself admitted he only chose to play for Australia in order to gain NSW selection, and the associated pay cheque.
Fien and Webb aren't Kiwis, but at least they did it for the love of this country. As opposed to tamou, who did it as a for the cash. No soul in his decision, and there will be no heart in the way he plays.

Atleast Tamou was actually eligible when he got picked.....
Fien and Webb only chose to play for NZ because it was an easier route to a rep jumper. They were both stuck behind about half a dozen players from getting QLD and Australian jumpers, let's not pretend they chose NZ because they suddenly felt like passionate kiwis after 2 years of residency

 

[Aragorn]

Actually, it's exactly the same thing.

Arguably, Fien and Webb were less of a joke, as they chose to represent their adopted country. Tamou himself admitted he only chose to play for Australia in order to gain NSW selection, and the associated pay cheque.
Fien and Webb aren't Kiwis, but at least they did it for the love of this country. As opposed to tamou, who did it as a for the cash. No soul in his decision, and there will be no heart in the way he plays.

in bold - are you kidding me?? !!

Tamou is doing it for the love of NSW.....

 

[Penrose Warrior]

It's a massive stretch to say Webb and Fien played for NZ due to their love of the country. Sure, they probably did love it here but they were Australians first and foremost. Hell, Fien played Origin.

Tamou is the lowest of the low, though. He made our train-on squad, professed how much he loved NZ and couldn't wait to play for us..then pissed off the next year. For money and fame, not love. At least guys like Mason, Hunt etc never pretended they were Kiwis.

 

[Aragorn]

It's a massive stretch to say Webb and Fien played for NZ due to their love of the country. Sure, they probably did love it here but they were Australians first and foremost. Hell, Fien played Origin.

Tamou is the lowest of the low, though. He made our train-on squad, professed how much he loved NZ and couldn't wait to play for us..then pissed off the next year. For money and fame, not love. At least guys like Mason, Hunt etc never pretended they were Kiwis.

I don't know about Hunt, but Mason was BORN in Auckland. That would make him a Kiwi in my books.

Also this ancestral crap is nothing but bull....

 

[hitman82]

in bold - are you kidding me?? !!

Tamou is doing it for the love of NSW.....

:lol:
We all know he's doing it for the love of money.

 

[hitman82]

It's a massive stretch to say Webb and Fien played for NZ due to their love of the country. Sure, they probably did love it here but they were Australians first and foremost. Hell, Fien played Origin.

Tamou is the lowest of the low, though. He made our train-on squad, professed how much he loved NZ and couldn't wait to play for us..then pissed off the next year. For money and fame, not love. At least guys like Mason, Hunt etc never pretended they were Kiwis.

Yeah I have no real problem with Mason and Hunt; at least they were straight up in their allegiances. Tamou would probably become an African if it paid a few bucks.

 

[Meth]

Fien and Webb played for NZ because there was no chance of them playing for Australia and they wanted to play International Rugby League. Tamou did it because he is good enough, and so can cash in on Origin's pay.That is why NZ will always lose when the eligibility rules are a joke.

The RLIF needs to determine what age is formative. I would suggest it's around 12. If you are a Kiwi, and your parents are Kiwi, and you move over to Australia at an age older than 12 (or whatever age is stipulated), you play for NZ. And vice versa, for what its worth.

Take the options away from the players so that the stop taking the most lucrative path for filthy lucre's sake.

 

[hitman82]

Fien and Webb played for NZ because there was no chance of them playing for Australia and they wanted to play International Rugby League. Tamou did it because he is good enough, and so can cash in on Origin's pay.That is why NZ will always lose when the eligibility rules are a joke.

The RLIF needs to determine what age is formative. I would suggest it's around 12. If you are a Kiwi, and your parents are Kiwi, and you move over to Australia at an age younger than 13 (or whatever age is stipulated), you play for NZ. And vice versa, for what its worth.

Take the options away from the players so that the stop taking the most lucrative path for filthy lucre's sake.

I don't quite get what you mean there?
Wouldn't it be more logical that the older you are when you move to Australia, the less Australian you are?

I think it should be done when a player signs their first (semi-)professional contract, whether it be U20s, NSW Cup, NRL - whatever.

If they are eligible for one nation at that stage, they are locked in for life. If they are eligible for more than one, they have to make a choice. At this stage in their career, before they see what they could potentially achieve, or get pricks like Meninga in their ears, they will more than likely choose based on true allegiance.

The only problem here is any second-tier nations will lose out entirely. No professional league player will ever choose Samoa or Tonga for life over Australia or Nz - it'd be a stupid move. Less tests, less money, paltry glory.

 

[Meth]

I don't quite get what you mean there?
Wouldn't it be more logical that the older you are when you move to Australia, the less Australian you are?

Sorry, I made an error there. Have corrected it now...

 

[Meth]

PS- I liked Anderson's tier idea (no shifting sideways)

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I don't know about Hunt, but Mason was BORN in Auckland. That would make him a Kiwi in my books.

Also this ancestral crap is nothing but bull....

So was Hunt. But how many millions of people in this world were born in countries that they don't associate themselves with? Hunt moved to Australia when he was 11, played all his rep stuff there etc so it's unsurprising he chose the Kangaroos. Same with Mason.

Those two played for the Junior Kangaroos, Tamou played for the Junior Kiwis, NZ Maori and declared himself 'fiercely proud' to be in the Kiwis train-on squad. And if it paid well, and had the same status as Origin, still would be wearing black.

 

[Aragorn]

Then apply the same rules as citizenship.

I think you're allowed dual citizenship until you're 16yrs of age then you need to chose.....

 

[Aragorn]

as they say, dont hate the player.... hate the game

 

[Meth]

as they say, dont hate the player.... hate the game

Change the game.