NRL club bosses back Kiwis vs Polynesian All Stars during origin

[1stNov2000]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/club-bosses-back-origin-series-for-kiwis-v-islanders-20101204-18knc.html

Whether it happens, is another thing

 

[thorson1987]

I can see the selection criteria for these teams being really bad. The majority of the Kiwi side are from the Pacific Islands.

 

[ANTiLAG]

I can see the selection criteria for these teams being really bad. The majority of the Kiwi side are from the Pacific Islands.

Yeah - Kiwis will get first pick - but Australians such as Lote Tuqirui, Akila Uate and Jarryd Hayne (if not selected for Origin) will presumably only be available for Pacifka teams

 

[Quidgybo]

I'd have thought the selection criteria was pretty easy. If you're eligible to play for a Pacific island nation (regardless of whether you are also eligible for the Kiwis or Australia) then you play for the Islanders Origin team. If you are eligible to play for the Kiwis but not eligible to play for a Pacific island nation then you play for New Zealand Domestic Origin team.

The domestic team shouldn't be the Kiwis, that's the wrong match up. It should be a Domestic Origin subset of the Kiwis. The players from the Islanders Origin team could still be selected for the Kiwis if eligible. The key criteria is whether you're eligible to be selected for a Pacific island nation or not. That's a pretty clear divide that gives both teams a good pool of players without one side getting first choice over the other.

Leigh

 

[whatsdoing1982]

This is simple. It will be the NZ team vs the Pacific Island team. The idea is to get the Island countries up to speed and wanting to represent the island nations. This way when a world cup comes around they are not picked off by Aus or NZ they are selected for example for Fiji.
It is a great way to improve the international game, raise more money for the game and grow support for Rugby League in the island nations.
Imagine all of Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa watching the game wanting to beat NZ. Good TV ratings and a great way to increase international awareness and sponsorship.
I spoke with Tas Bateri and said it was a great idea as long as they commit to the side and dont change otherwise it would lose it value.

 

[Lossy]

The majority of the Kiwi side are from the Pacific Islands.

The Kiwi players listed on the NZRL website are:

Adam Blair
Lewis Brown
Greg Eastwood
Nathan Fien
Bronson Harrison
Lance Hohaia
Shaun Kenny-Dowall
Thomas Leuluai
Issac Luke
Sam McKendy
Simon Mannering
Sika Manu
Benji Marshall
Ben Matulino
Jason Nightingale
Frank-Paul Nu'uausala
Sam Perrett
Frank Pritchard
Junior Sa'u
Jeremy Smith
Manu Vatuvei
Jared Warea-Hargreaves
Antonio Winterstein

All NZ-born except for Fein, Nightingale, Pritchard, and Kenny-Dowell. By my count 14 of 23 are of Maori heritage, including AUS-born Nightingale and SKD.

Edit: OK, I'll add in Moi Moi, even though he was injured. He would have been in the squad otherwise. There's a Tongan-born player for you. One.

 

[Jankuloski]

If this thing gets off the ground it can massive impact.

If payments are near SOO it would mean that the big carrot luring away Polynesian players away from their native countries would be gone. This fixture - Hayne at fullback finally .. Playing for Fiji ..

It's not likely it's going to happen, but the impact could be massive.

 

[simostorm]

When would they play it?

 

[Lossy]

Yeah - Kiwis will get first pick - but Australians such as Lote Tuqirui, Akila Uate and Jarryd Hayne (if not selected for Origin) will presumably only be available for Pacifka teams

From the article:

One of the big ideas to emerge from the powerbrokers' annual conference in Byron Bay during the week was for stars not eligible for the Blues and Maroons to get a chance to be part of their own marquee series.

Tuqiri is available for QLD, Hayne for NSW, and Uate was granted dispensation to play for NSW next year on 'financial grounds'. None of those can play.

Also:

Potential match-ups include Golden Boot winner Marshall taking on Warriors recruit Mateo, Parramatta prop Fuifui Moimoi mixing it with Storm counterpart Adam Blair and Fijian flyer Akuila Uate marking up on Roosters sensation Shaun Kenny-Dowall.

Why would Kiwi prop Blair be taking on Kiwi prop Moi Moi? Why would noveau New South Welshman Uate be taking on SKD?

It would be Kiwi-eligible players taking on players not eligible for the Kiwis who are not eligible for SOO. Not, Kiwis vs players not-selected for the Kiwis or SOO.

I know they are talking about a concept but the article contradicts itself a bit.

 

[stormbati]

From the article:
Tuqiri is available for QLD, Hayne for NSW, and Uate was granted dispensation to play for NSW next year on 'financial grounds'. None of those can play.

Yes but it doesnt say Origin eligible players cannot be seleced.
But I think you're right anyway lol, they wouldnt be allowed.

 

[Gaba]

posted---- wrong thread

 

[Lossy]

Yes but it doesnt say Origin eligible players cannot be seleced.
But I think you're right anyway lol, they wouldnt be allowed.

Yes it does Pay attention, good sir!

One of the big ideas to emerge from the powerbrokers' annual conference in Byron Bay during the week was for stars not eligible for the Blues and Maroons to get a chance to be part of their own marquee series.

It would hardly help Pacific Island league if the team was stacked with Origin/Kiwi players in waiting.

 

[ANTiLAG]

Yes it does Pay attention, good sir!



It would hardly help Pacific Island league if the team was stacked with Origin/Kiwi players in waiting.

Of course it would and they're fools not to give dispensation for the Pacific Island team.

50 point thrashings will do nothing for league in the Pacific or NZ.

Need clsoe games with superstars playing.

Need Akila, Tuquri, Hayne and Aus based Pacific player PLAYING in this if it is even going to be worth watching let alone attending. Else it will be a failure.

 

[Lossy]

Of course it would and they're fools not to give dispensation for the Pacific Island team.

50 point thrashings will do nothing for league in the Pacific or NZ.

Need clsoe games with superstars playing.

Need Akila, Tuquri, Hayne and Aus based Pacific player PLAYING in this if it is even going to be worth watching let alone attending. Else it will be a failure.

Well, the article says players not eligible for Origin. Fools or not, that's what it suggests at this stage. The writer then didn't think about Moi Moi and Uate's case carefully enough.

Dispensation wouldn't strengthen PI league. Help make the individual games a success? Sure, but that would just give Origin players more playing/earning avenues at the expense of genuine PI-loyal players.

This game is for PI and Kiwi players. Origin players already have their spotlight. No need to hog another one.

 

[Martli]

Sounds like selection criteria is going to be even more messy for this game/series than internationals and origin. So much overlap between "Polynesian" and "Kiwis". Will be interesting to see how they handle this, wouldn't want it to become a joke competition.

 

[shinobi]

well if its a polynesian all stars team there wont be any akuila uate or jarryd hayne as they are fijian and fijians are melanesian.

 

[docbrown]

I've said before about a Polynesian vs Melanesian Origin


for your reference:


Polynesia: The islands scattered across a triangle covering the east-central region of the Pacific Ocean. The triangle is bounded by the Hawaiian islands in the north, New Zealand in the west, and Easter Island in the east. The rest of Polynesia comprises Samoan islands (American Samoa and Samoa), the Cook Islands, French Polynesia (Tahiti and The Society Islands, Marquesas Islands, Austral Islands, and the Tuamotu Archipelago), Niue Island, Tokelau and Tuvalu, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, and Pitcairn Island.


Melanesia: The island of New Guinea, the Bismarck and Louisiade archipelagos, the Admiralty Islands, and Bougainville Island (which make up the independent state of Papua New Guinea), the Solomon Islands, the Santa Cruz Islands (part of the Solomon Islands), New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands, Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides), Fiji, Norfolk Island, and various smaller islands.


But I think a New Zealand Origin vs Pacific Islander Origin could work well if the eligibility issues were addressed. It means more than Auckland vs the Rest.


I also believe a Pacific Islander combined side could work in a 4 or 5 nations format - especially when you consider that this origin concept is effectively the same thing. Perhaps the mid year games could count for the end of season tournament - if its the same squad. For a 4 Nations though, I think PNG needs to be seperate.

 

[NRLMad]

Sounds like selection criteria is going to be even more messy for this game/series than internationals and origin. So much overlap between "Polynesian" and "Kiwis". Will be interesting to see how they handle this, wouldn't want it to become a joke competition.

I think this may be just a sign of the current times.. You have to remember that the Kiwis were never a force until recently. They'd have wanted to attract whoever they could have. With the increase in popularity of the game & large amount of PI and NZ eligible players coming through the ranks, I think NZ will in fact show restraint and start picking born and bred players...
What they need is a 2nd team in the NRL and this would double available players from NZ..

An example of this was Ukuma Ta'ai - one of the best Warriors players all year. Should have got straight into the Kiwi side (if they wanted him).. Played previously for the Tongan team..

 

[kuwaiti kev]

The article was a bit dodgy (didn't Dymock coach the Tongans not the Bati?) and although i've always been against a pacific island combined team, i'm not hating this idea. SO long as the island countries have full blown international games regularly at the end of the year.

 

[Revelation 3:20]

You guys are missing the point.
Who said anything about Polynesian
Islanders! covers the whole lot!