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Papalii turns his back on Kiwis

Fast Eddie

Fast Eddie

First Grade
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8,085
No doubt, and those players were also supposed to be australian. Easy to get around that these days though, money helps.

Will be hillarious if ben teo keeps him out of the side for the next few years.
 
Pierced Soul

Pierced Soul

First Grade
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9,202
papalii's a few years off being chosen in origin. if he sticks with his convictions then it's all good. he's lived in australia a lot longer than he's lived in NZ.

its a diff situation to mateo who said a few years ago he'd only change his allegiance to australia if he was guaranteed the blues jersey. pretty sure i read something recently about mateo being eligible for GB or somehting stupid?
 
Pete Cash

Pete Cash

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Papalii is improving at a ludicrous rate. Keep in mind he was still eligible for toyota cup this year. I don't want to get the Sharks supporters back in here crying like ladies on the rag but he will physically be quite a monster by the time he gets to his mid twenties.

Of course some Shark supporters seem to believe that men physically peak at 19/20 which is curious because prop forwards dont peak to their mid twenties.

The guy is a product of the Queensland Rugby League system and the Canberra Raiders. I don't see what the crying is about. Has he ever played a game of League in New Zealand besides on duty with the Canberra Raiders ? I mean I understand he has some serious potential but thats the way the cookie crumbles. Even if origin didn't offer a good pay day its still such a huge event that people who only feel a small connection to their country of origin but have been in Australia for ages are probably going to lean towards SOO. The fact it has a massive pay day on top of that adds to the appeal.
 
Grapple

Grapple

Bench
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4,891
Just another nail in the coffin of rugby league. F**k if i'm watching another game after this GF. I've absolutely had enough... Picking the cash over playing for your country? F**k off!

The lure of the almighty dollar has completely ruined this game in every aspect - advertising, excessive contracts with coaches and players alike, and now international eligibility.... what does it even mean to play the game anymore?
 
Pete Cash

Pete Cash

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His country :lol:

He has lived in Australia for more years than he has lived in New Zealand. He is a product of the Raiders and Queensland Rugby League before that. All his Rugby League development has taken place in Australia.

How in the name of all things holy is he any less Australian than he is a Kiwi. Just because he is a bit brown or something. I am a first generation Australian and my Father came over here when he was young and he damn sure doesn't feel anything for his home country.
 
Walt Flanigan

Walt Flanigan

Referee
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20,727
Seriously, some people just look like they want to be outraged for the sake of it in this thread.

The only bad thing Papalii has done is sign that letter of intent for NZ last year.

Arguments that he is rightfully a Kiwi or should be playing for NZ are just way off the mark. Being born in NZ and living most of his life here in Australia gives him the choice IMO. How much input have NZ had in his Rugby League development?
 
Pete Cash

Pete Cash

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62,085
The fairest way is to work out how much each nation attributed to his development in RL.

Percentage attributed by QRL and the Canberra Raiders (organisations based in Australia)=100 percent

Percentage attributed to any NZ RL organisation= 0 %

How about the Kiwis stop trying to poach talent that has been developed by Australian RL organisations and develop some of their own talent.
 
Mixmasterreece

Mixmasterreece

Bench
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4,924
Pete Cash said:
His country :lol:

He has lived in Australia for more years than he has lived in New Zealand. He is a product of the Raiders and Queensland Rugby League before that. All his Rugby League development has taken place in Australia.

How in the name of all things holy is he any less Australian than he is a Kiwi. Just because he is a bit brown or something. I am a first generation Australian and my Father came over here when he was young and he damn sure doesn't feel anything for his home country.
Click to expand...

Again, no problem if that was his decision all along. Instead he committed to us, played for the jk's, signed a letter of intent, came out in the media saying he'd told Mel 'no' and was 100% kiwi - but then flip flops over the last fortnight and even said yesterday that it was about the money.

At a time where union is clawing back against league in this country, fiascos like this make
International league look like a circus and turns marginal/borderline fans
Off the game
 
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Meth

Meth

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35,311
Frank_Grimes said:
Wrong.

SOO was always about the NSWRL vs QRL. The players that are being recruited are products of those two systems.
Click to expand...

So, I presume that you are all for eligible non-Australians playing Origin and still representing countries other than Australia then?
 
Meth

Meth

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35,311
Pete Cash said:
The guy is a product of the Queensland Rugby League system and the Canberra Raiders. I don't see what the crying is about. Has he ever played a game of League in New Zealand besides on duty with the Canberra Raiders ? I mean I understand he has some serious potential but thats the way the cookie crumbles. Even if origin didn't offer a good pay day its still such a huge event that people who only feel a small connection to their country of origin but have been in Australia for ages are probably going to lean towards SOO. The fact it has a massive pay day on top of that adds to the appeal.
Click to expand...

He played for the junior Kiwis last year FFS. 6 months ago he was saying that 'NZ was home and he was 100% kiwi'. Money is the ONLY reason why he is playing Origin, and Origin is the only reason why he's playing for Australia. Same as Tamou. Cheapens your national jersey no end.

I am not pissed off at all really. I am just baffled as to why Aussies aren't.
 
Pete Cash

Pete Cash

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And from all reports he has under immense pressure from different sides in his family and his circle of peers to do one thing or the other. He is a kid.

Yeah he flip flopped quite a few times but I feel that its understandable. I also feel a more accurate reflection of Papaliis life and RL development is him playing for Australia and Queensland. I think while the money plays a HUGE role (and its not exactly fair for NZ that this massive money incentive exists. Say if Papalii becomes a mainstay for Queensland for 10 years thats a potential 1.5 million dollars on todays bonuses he is turning down. Even if he doesn't become quite the player I think he will its still A LOT of money) its also much more prestiges for a boy who has lived in Australia since he was 6, cannot remember living in NZ and associates with Queensland to represent that state.
 
S

Son of Minto

Bench
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3,114
Dont worry NZers, you'll steal a couple of Australian born and bred players who great uncles are Kiwis soon enough anyway.
 
Pete Cash

Pete Cash

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Meth said:
He played for the junior Kiwis last year FFS. 6 months ago he was saying that 'NZ was home and he was 100% kiwi'. Money is the ONLY reason why he is playing Origin, and Origin is the only reason why he's playing for Australia. Same as Tamou. Cheapens your national jersey no end.

I am not pissed off at all really. I am just baffled as to why Aussies aren't.
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But he is Australian. You guys have literally done nothing towards his development and just wanted to swoop in because he happened to have been born in New Zealand.

He has played Queensland junior rep prior to playing for the junior kiwis, he cannot remember even living in New Zealand. Do you think he might have faced family pressures to play for the Kiwis. The right decision has been made. The kid is a Queenslander.
 
Meth

Meth

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35,311
Son of Minto said:
Dont worry NZers, you'll steal a couple of Australian born and bred players who great uncles are Kiwis soon enough anyway.
Click to expand...

Oh don't worry, we know it's a total farce, and equal to Tamou and Papalii, that Fien and Webb played for NZ...but I think you'll agree that Australia win in that trade.
 
Diesel

Diesel

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22,111
He's spent more time in Aust than NZ so I'm fine with the decision based on that, but if he was playing for the Junior Kiwis earlier in the year then it shows what a farce this really is.

I wonder how long before 1/2 of the 34 Origin players are born overseas or have played for a junior national side other than Australia within a year of choosing to play Origin.

Will Origin ever be revamped to have a Barbarian's type team play the winners or be inserted into the series if this really does get out of hand?
 
Grapple

Grapple

Bench
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4,891
Pete Cash said:
His country :lol:

He has lived in Australia for more years than he has lived in New Zealand. He is a product of the Raiders and Queensland Rugby League before that. All his Rugby League development has taken place in Australia.

How in the name of all things holy is he any less Australian than he is a Kiwi. Just because he is a bit brown or something. I am a first generation Australian and my Father came over here when he was young and he damn sure doesn't feel anything for his home country.
Click to expand...

I know all that, but where do you draw the line?

The bottom line is that it's all for the dollar and doesn't mean a thing to play for your country. How much cash is needed to get a player to play for his country when others played for next to nothing? It's a middle finger to the history of the game. Fair enough for him if he wants to chase a buck, but don't expect fans of the game to stick around and watch the game turn to s**t, and don't expect people in his country of birth not to be disappointed at the outcome.


Having someone eligible by way of birth only, is still better and makes more sense, regardless of where you want to play. Tough s**t if you want to play for QLD or Australia because that's where you spent your time - you can't because of where you were born. That's the rule and it's there for that simple reason: so you don't have people jumping ship based on their "feelings", "cash incentives" or "how much time we invested in him". Again - tough s**t! Playing for your country should trump all those reasons.

(It's not just Aussies either, Brent Webb, Fien... etc)


If Papalii had any pride to play for Australia because of his QLD upbringing he would never have even entertained the thought of playing for NZ. Yet he changes his mind....? F**k off. :lol:
 
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