Jason Taumalolo opts to play for Tonga

[Caped Crusader]

Kiwis and NZ as a whole always punch above their weight. We are only what 4.5 to 6 million in population. It amazes me how we still get over the line with all the obstacles we face with Origin and the eligibility rules making sure we are not at our strongest.

I'm so proud of being a Kiwi we just push ourselves to the limit.

Who have you lost of quality to these eligibility rules? Tamou and Hunt

Your coach and selectors have more blame to shoulder mate

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

any obstacles NZ face are overstated in the extreme. Having so many eligible players in the nrl has been a real boom for NZ, and the number of players genuinely lost to origin number only a couple or so. Now compare this to the situation in union that the PI nations face, where NZ systematically poaches their best players for the ABs!

Man you are so full of it. Most the island players you speak of from Union are born and trained in NZ. The difference with our players being poached from all countries and codes are some if not most of them are born in NZ. I'm not so sure you understand that

 

[Force]

any obstacles NZ face are overstated in the extreme. Having so many eligible players in the nrl has been a real boom for NZ, and the number of players genuinely lost to origin number only a couple or so. Now compare this to the situation in union that the PI nations face, where NZ systematically poaches their best players for the ABs!

Its 2017, you need to update your ignorance. Thats just a sour grape tactic from the Northern Hemisphere they liked to use back in the 90's. You'll find the biggest poachers in Rugby Union arent NZ as the majority are born and or raised in NZ. Theres only a couple in the current squad who one could consider 'poached' as they came to NZ in their teens for schooling. Naholo, Tamainivalu and Fifita are the 3 that come to mind, the rest are either born in NZ or raised in NZ.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

You only arguing the origin eligibility angle I'm talking about International eligibility too. I could list you so many but that has been covered already on this thread.

Your countries have competitive competitions and have so many more people to choose from. Hence I stress the point we punch above our weight. Could you imagine how much more stronger NZ would be if they straighten out the eligibility rules? Or have a nation competition? Mate we be beating Australia on a regular basis and dominate for longer periods.

You blame NZ and our coaches for those issues however you short sighted merkin you forget to realize that its Australia that has always put Origin first before the international growth of our great game and with their good payouts each origin match it does lure kiwis and islanders over. Tamou a prime example again.

Who have you lost of quality to these eligibility rules? Tamou and Hunt

Your coach and selectors have more blame to shoulder mate

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

People with NZ background should play for NZ and people with Island background should also play for NZ.
Everyone should play for NZ!

You convict genius do you not understand English? We are stating players born in NZ should rep our nation. We are not claiming everyone from the islands should. The islanders born in NZ is a no argument as they are NZers heritage irrelevant in this case.

 

[adamkungl]

It's not Australia's fault half your forward pack jumped ship to another country

 

[Basil]

Its 2017, you need to update your ignorance. Thats just a sour grape tactic from the Northern Hemisphere they liked to use back in the 90's. You'll find the biggest poachers in Rugby Union arent NZ as the majority are born and or raised in NZ. Theres only a couple in the current squad who one could consider 'poached' as they came to NZ in their teens for schooling. Naholo, Tamainivalu and Fifita are the 3 that come to mind, the rest are either born in NZ or raised in NZ.

yup those players where "lured" to NZ on a rugby scholarship, so that's 3 players in the actual AB squad right now, in the present. That's about as many league players Oz have poached in the last 2 decades from NZ -and I'm talking of players who went to Oz for league reasons, not immigration!

 

[Basil]

You convict genius do you not understand English? We are stating players born in NZ should rep our nation. We are not claiming everyone from the islands should. The islanders born in NZ is a no argument as they are NZers heritage irrelevant in this case.

that's not very PC of you to use the word genius as an insult. Show a little respect to those with mental disabilities please, you probably need to go on a diversity training course! Btw I note kiwis don't have any issue with Oz born players in the kiwis? Why is that if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Basil]

You only arguing the origin eligibility angle I'm talking about International eligibility too. I could list you so many but that has been covered already on this thread.

Your countries have competitive competitions and have so many more people to choose from. Hence I stress the point we punch above our weight. Could you imagine how much more stronger NZ would be if they straighten out the eligibility rules? Or have a nation competition? Mate we be beating Australia on a regular basis and dominate for longer periods.

You blame NZ and our coaches for those issues however you short sighted merkin you forget to realize that its Australia that has always put Origin first before the international growth of our great game and with their good payouts each origin match it does lure kiwis and islanders over. Tamou a prime example again.

okay Tamou that's one example, even if he moved to Oz at about age 11, I'll let you have that one as he was actually selected in a train on squad. Now where are all these other examples, I was thinking there must be dozens by the way kiwis carry on? And the Kiwi punching above our weight shtick is becoming very tiresome it has to be said. Now Tongans, Samoans Fijians can genuinely claim to be, but not NZ, a rich and privileged western nation.

 

[Force]

yup those players where "lured" to NZ on a rugby scholarship, so that's 3 players in the actual AB squad right now, in the present. That's about as many league players Oz have poached in the last 2 decades from NZ -and I'm talking of players who went to Oz for league reasons, not immigration!

There havent been many poached by NZ in Union over the last decade or so. I can only count a handful including those 3 mentioned above who all came to NZ for schooling but ended up playing for NZ. I also wouldn't call them the best players from the islands either as there are many better than them, especially Fiji.

 

[Force]

okay Tamou that's one example, even if he moved to Oz at about age 11, I'll let you have that one as he was actually selected in a train on squad. Now where are all these other examples, I was thinking there must be dozens by the way kiwis carry on? And the Kiwi punching above our weight shtick is becoming very tiresome it has to be said. Now Tongans, Samoans Fijians can genuinely claim to be, but not NZ, a rich and privileged western nation.

Semi, Uate, Tamou, Kaufusi (Antonio)....thats all I can think off the top of my head.

NZ do well for a small population but so do the others likes Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

I just want the poms to give the kiwis the sheep treatment. Dammit the kiwis are a great enemy foe in the pacific they are the dastardly poms in our region.

Always kicking our ass but just one day hopeful of a blue blitz against that kiwi. Our rivalry with nz is deep heated only its been one sided.

The colonial days under nz were the worst they are our nsw. My Toa have to find qld mongrel in them and fight back against the old enemy Tonga and the braveheart scots.

Dammit Toa Samoa players please die for that blue jumper like men possessed not like the second half disgrace where you fed our hearts to those kiwis. Tonga is next nothing less than a win acceptable or else be branded as forever the team that killed the peoples blue jumper. The blue blitz.

Sole I come from Porirua, and I was a minority growing up. I have seen first hand what my country has done for your people all my life. Ungrateful jerk. Good luck on finding that "qld mongrel".

 

[Bobby DIGital]

okay Tamou that's one example, even if he moved to Oz at about age 11, I'll let you have that one as he was actually selected in a train on squad. Now where are all these other examples, I was thinking there must be dozens by the way kiwis carry on? And the Kiwi punching above our weight shtick is becoming very tiresome it has to be said. Now Tongans, Samoans Fijians can genuinely claim to be, but not NZ, a rich and privileged western nation.

What about Lions star Ben Te'o? What about Josh Papali'i who repeatedly told Meninga he wanted to play for NZ over a 2 year period, and eventually relented and agreed to play for Qld purely for cash?

 

[Basil]

What about Lions star Ben Te'o? What about Josh Papali'i who repeatedly told Meninga he wanted to play for NZ over a 2 year period, and eventually relented and agreed to play for Qld purely for cash?

is that all you got, Te'o? ROFLMAO!!

and Papalii repeatedly told Mal he wanted to play for NZ? We'd you hear that, I'm calling BS on that for sure!?

 

[Basil]

Semi, Uate, Tamou, Kaufusi (Antonio)....thats all I can think off the top of my head.

NZ do well for a small population but so do the others likes Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.

ah yes, Semi and Uate, two dinkum kiwis! and here was I thinking they were Fijians! Mind you the kiwis did try to poach that storm winger didn't they, who was actually in NZ on a rugby scholarship I believe? But he wasn't eligible because of the new stricter residence rules! So that hypocritical clown Mcgahan had a whinge about how unfair it was kiwis couldn't poach players as easily as before.!!

 

[Force]

ah yes, Semi and Uate, two dinkum kiwis! and here was I thinking they were Fijians! Mind you the kiwis did try to poach that storm winger didn't they, who was actually in NZ on a rugby scholarship I believe? But he wasn't eligible because of the new stricter residence rules! So that hypocritical clown Mcgahan had a whinge about how unfair it was kiwis couldn't poach players as easily as before.!!

Nah...those two are Fijian, not sure where you got the Kiwi part from. Vunivalu on the other hand thought he could represent the Kiwis after going to school in NZ but he wasnt eligible. I also forgot to add Ben Te'o, although I dont think he played for OZ but he was blocked playing for the Kiwi's cos he chose Australia's Origin carrot instead. Im sure theres more but all in all, they have been only a handful.

 

[Basil]

Nah...those two are Fijian, not sure where you got the Kiwi part from. Vunivalu on the other hand thought he could represent the Kiwis after going to school in NZ but he wasnt eligible. I also forgot to add Ben Te'o, although I dont think he played for OZ but he was blocked playing for the Kiwi's cos he chose Australia's Origin carrot instead. Im sure theres more but all in all, they have been only a handful.

erm .. you included them in your list of players the kiwis have missed out on because of origin d'oh! and Te'o wasn't blocked from the kiwis he was free to chose to play for them if he wanted to, which he didn't as he preferred to declare for Oz and play for qld. The guy is entitled to make up his own mind what he wants to do don't ya reckon?

 

[Force]

erm .. you included them in your list of players the kiwis have missed out on because of origin d'oh! and Te'o wasn't blocked from the kiwis he was free to chose to play for them if he wanted to, which he didn't as he preferred to declare for Oz and play for qld. The guy is entitled to make up his own mind what he wants to do don't ya reckon?

No, I included them as players poached by Australia not necessarily being eligible for the Kiwi's, just poached. Te'o was blocked from representing the Kiwis once he chose to play Origin as he was not allowed to play for NZ afterthat. I recall Tonie Carroll being in a similar situation when he was forced to give up the Kiwi jersey if he wanted to play Origin.

 

[Basil]

No, I included them as players poached by Australia not necessarily being eligible for the Kiwi's, just poached. Te'o was blocked from representing the Kiwis once he chose to play Origin as he was not allowed to play for NZ afterthat. I recall Tonie Carroll being in a similar situation when he was forced to give up the Kiwi jersey if he wanted to play Origin.

I asked for a list of players the kiwis allegedly missed out on because of origin and you include two Fijians in the list. Why? And Te'o wasn't "blocked" from the kiwis, he would have been free to play for them up and until he played for oz, while Carroll basically elected for the kiwis so he could play in a world cup, as many other players who did not make their first choice side did.

 

[Force]

I asked for a list of players the kiwis allegedly missed out on because of origin and you include two Fijians in the list. Why? And Te'o wasn't "blocked" from the kiwis, he would have been free to play for them up and until he played for oz, while Carroll basically elected for the kiwis so he could play in a world cup, as many other players who did not make their first choice side did.

That was someone else you were replying to about the Kiwis missing out on players. I was adding to my previous comment about players being poached by either Country and those Fijians were players poached by OZ. Te'o wouldn't have been able to play for NZ and Origin, ARL would've made sure of that. Thats why players who elect to play Origin, commit to OZ, not NZ.