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Kangaroo's selection after State of Origin. Your kangaroo's Team

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
6,645
The thing that pisses me off most about these situations is the guys (Ponga especially) want to sit out international footy, but then openly speak about wanting to go to Union because they want to play international footy. These guys treating international RL like a joke is one of the reasons why it hasn't grown as well as it should have
 

Gordie

Juniors
Messages
202
The thing that pisses me off most about these situations is the guys (Ponga especially) want to sit out international footy, but then openly speak about wanting to go to Union because they want to play international footy. These guys treating international RL like a joke is one of the reasons why it hasn't grown as well as it should have
International RL was weakened well before ponga broke onto the scene.

Had we had the international game of the 80’s&90’s and even that of the tri/4nations era then things would have been much different.
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
6,645
International RL was weakened well before ponga broke onto the scene.

Had we had the international game of the 80’s&90’s and even that of the tri/4nations era then things would have been much different.
I said one of the reasons, not all of them.
 

PARRA_FAN

Coach
Messages
17,702
The funny part is that players have been pulling out of playing for the smaller nations year after year but the moment a player does it to Australia all of a sudden everyone is up in arms.

The NRL has been treating the international game as irrelevant for years now. They only have themselves to blame if players also see it as an after thought.

They might be disappointed in players pulling out but its not the first time and it wouldnt be the last. The people in charge have shot themselves in the foot with very little interest in the International game. They talk about trying to grow the International game but it wasnt that long ago theyve scheduled the Pacific Championship, whereas years gone by, this was organised at the start of the year or even the previous year.

Since they got rid of the mid year tests, there is very little exposure for the International game and I worry the next WC will barely get any promotion.
 
Messages
12,712
He can't play for the Kiwis because then he won't be able to play Origin.

I guess the Kiwis will get the washed up version of Ponga when he's no longer good enough to make SOO.

What's the rules if he did play for Oz ? Could he play for NZ down the line ? Or can you only play for one tier 1 country ?

I don't think he could play for NZ if he played for Aus unless they introduce a stand-down period. But as it stands he hasn't, so he can walk out on Qld if they keep picking Walsh (another Maori) over him.

Craig Smith, Nathan Fein and Tonie Caroll all played for Qld before playing for us. Caroll went back and was able to then play for Aus, but that's cos the WC he played in (2000) had relaxed eligibility rules.
 

JamesRustle

First Grade
Messages
8,072
Former Kangaroos captain and chairman of selectors Bob McCarthy believes Kalyn Ponga should never be considered for Australia again after his decision to prioritise a Newcastle pre-season ahead of the Pacific Championships.

“I’d be putting the red line through his name,” McCarthy said. “You don’t knock back the Australian jersey. I can’t see his reckoning there. It’s the ultimate reward, playing for your country.

“Origin is good, but the green and gold is something different. That’s what Mal has been trying to instil into everyone – he’s recognising those who dug the well and wants to keep that spirit going.

“You’d think you’d be determined to get in there and make up for the big loss last year [to New Zealand]. The only reason I can think of is if he’s been told he won’t make it, and he’s tried to get in first. It’s disappointing to hear.

“Blokes would break an arm to get picked when I played. And what happens if he gets hurt in the pre-season?”

“Blokes would break an arm to get picked when I played” - What a daft old merkin... break arm, blokes unable to play for Australia... better off playing to best iof ability and hoping to get picked.
 
Messages
3,644
Preliminary squad is now listed.


Where are the props? Out of that list I'd consider only Lindsay Collins an out-and-out prop.

Isaah Yeo, Reuben Cotter, Tom Trbojevic, Pat Carrigan & Cam Murray would all be considered locks. Mitch Barnett is more of a lock/second rower.

All New Zealand have to do is pick the likes of JFH, JWH, NAS, Moses Leota and Leo Thompson and they'll bash us up the middle again.
 

taste2taste

Juniors
Messages
2,495
Where are the props? Out of that list I'd consider only Lindsay Collins an out-and-out prop.

Isaah Yeo, Reuben Cotter, Tom Trbojevic, Pat Carrigan & Cam Murray would all be considered locks. Mitch Barnett is more of a lock/second rower.

All New Zealand have to do is pick the likes of JFH, JWH, NAS, Moses Leota and Leo Thompson and they'll bash us up the middle again.
Aust will have the smallest pack in the tournament.

Nz and Tonga will be running right through the middle.
 

MKCS

Juniors
Messages
654
Where are the props? Out of that list I'd consider only Lindsay Collins an out-and-out prop.

Isaah Yeo, Reuben Cotter, Tom Trbojevic, Pat Carrigan & Cam Murray would all be considered locks. Mitch Barnett is more of a lock/second rower.

All New Zealand have to do is pick the likes of JFH, JWH, NAS, Moses Leota and Leo Thompson and they'll bash us up the middle again.

They'll probably go with Cotter, Carrigan, Collins and Trbojevic in the prop role with Yeo at lock forward. Australia is definitely going to struggle against both New Zealand and Tonga who have big vicious speciality props.
 

MRN

Bench
Messages
3,435
According to channel nein, Ponga has made himself available for the Kangaroos pending fitness assessment.
 

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