New Zealand 2 will deal a massive blow to NZ rugby

[Gobsmacked]

Lol yeh who'd want to represent their country in front of 60k+ fans at Wembley stadium when you could be playing in front of 25k for some country you've adopted in Sydney lol

Geez, skipping over a few nuances there aren’t we?
It's almost as if you don't have Samoan heritage, empathise with how that may make you feel or... even want to try an understand?

Take 2 minutes, just 2 minutes to try to understand that these men have centuries of tradition running though their blood.
They literally only exist because of every single ancestral lineage...

 

[shadowformz]

Nobody wants to play in the ashes

PAC cup going to be lit

Tino will stay with the kangaroos

 

[Wb1234]

Tino will stay with the kangaroos

After Payne switched who knows

 

[Gobsmacked]

Nobody wants to play in the ashes

PAC cup going to be lit

I think there's lots of people who would relish the chance to play in the Ashes...just not Samoans..

 

[Gobsmacked]

Tino will stay with the kangaroos

That's if he's picked

 

[Diesel]

Listening to 360, some are for other tier 1 nations playing SoO, but others are using tradition as a reason not to. Without New Zealand and the Pacific Islands propping them up Australia wouldn’t have the overall winning percentage they currently do.

 

[Gobsmacked]

Listening to 360, some are for other tier 1 nations playing SoO, but others are using tradition as a reason not to. Without New Zealand and the Pacific Islands propping them up Australia wouldn’t have the overall winning percentage they currently do.

Only in the last 2 decades could you say that the best 17 aren't all Australian and it's increasingly not the case.
It's what we want for the international game.
Origin won't be the pinnacle of the sport for much longer, a decade at best.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Only in the last 2 decades could you say that the best 17 aren't all Australian and it's increasingly not the case.
It's what we want for the international game.
Origin won't be the pinnacle of the sport for much longer, a decade at best.

Will that before or after rugby union is dead in your home nation of New Zealand?

 

[Clarkent]

Tino will stay with the kangaroos

I highly doubt he would. He's won a world cup with Australia he's got nothing more to prove. Winning a world cup with the Samoan team is different tho he will be in the history books. Tino never ruled out playing for samoa in the future. He even went to samoa at the start of the year trying to promote the game to the younger generation. The hammer is also another samoan/aussie who might be tempted to join those boys. The aussies will be strong anyways because of the depth of talent that they have in the nrl especially in the spine. I just think Haas and Tino leaving kinda evens out the playing field for everyone. All I know is I'm looking forward to the Samoa vs Tonga match. The atmosphere is gonna be huge!

 

[Gobsmacked]

Will that before or after rugby union is dead in your home nation of New Zealand?

Not sure but definitely before the Raiders get anywhere near a premiership

 

[SirPies&Beers]

Lol yeh who'd want to represent their country in front of 60k+ fans at Wembley stadium when you could be playing in front of 25k for some country you've adopted in Sydney lol

well look at that. the clueless dogshit perthwrongs who doesnt know what the hell he is talking about making comments about a subject he knows as much as a monkey knows algebra. give it a rest perthwrongs, you dont need to have an opinion on every topic because everytime ya type something its complete wrong.

perthwrongs, ding dong
clueless as always.

 

[Gobsmacked]

https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/04/03/nrl-blocks-code-switch-for-nz-rugby-superstar/

 

[Wb1234]

Not sure but definitely before the Raiders get anywhere near a premiership

Swans

 

[Gobsmacked]

At least the conversation has started..

NRL new 2025: Phil Gould backs State of Origin eligibility overhaul, internationals | ANALYSIS

 

[Wb1234]

At least the conversation has started..

NRL new 2025: Phil Gould backs State of Origin eligibility overhaul, internationals | ANALYSIS

Funny Bennett is arguing the opposite

Gus could get this over the line

 

[flippikat]

IMO it all boils down to what the purpose of Origin is.. is it a trial for the Kangaroos or effectively an All Stars series under the guise of state rivalry?

Although the Indigenous All Stars v Maori All Stars game has become a real event & celebration of native Australian & NZ culture, the change from Indigenous v NRL All Stars (the original concept) left players without links to either heritage without an annual "best of the best" game to play in, so Origin is increasingly filling that void.

 

[Gobsmacked]

Funny Bennett is arguing the opposite

Gus could get this over the line

Bennett wasn't. All he was saying is you can't change Origin eligibility/ water it down. Which isn’t the sticking point

 

[Gobsmacked]

IMO it all boils down to what the purpose of Origin is.. is it a trial for the Kangaroos or effectively an All Stars series under the guise of state rivalry?

Although the Indigenous All Stars v Maori All Stars game has become a real event & celebration of native Australian & NZ culture, the change from Indigenous v NRL All Stars (the original concept) left players without links to either heritage without an annual "best of the best" game to play in, so Origin is increasingly filling that void.

It hasn't been a a trial ever really. And we want to be bringing players through other states like Vic and WA. Australia.
And it's not a best of the best.
It's state of Origin: QLD vs NSW , where you grew up and played junior footy ect.

It's not complicated.

 

[Gobsmacked]

The age old question.. Origin or representation of my nation of choice?...

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

It hasn't been a a trial ever really.

It definitely was once upon a time mate, I remember clearly because there were so many no-name Queenslanders in the OZ side over my favourite New South Welshman purely because Qld had won Origin.