Sam Kasiano?

[RL The greatest game]

I'm pretty sure Origin is considered the pinnacle of representative football, whether you and I or anyone likes it, or not.

The Kiwis won the world cup, and obvisouly none of that team have played SOO, so logic suggests that the world cup is the pinnacle of representative football. Also i would suggest that if the Kiws get a decent coach they will win the world cup again. I'm aware that Stephen Kearney was coach when they became world champs, but he did have the help of Wayne Bennett. When they won the 2010 4 nations it was more down to there players playing off the cuff football rather than Stephen Kearneys tactics.

 

[ANTiLAG]

The Kiwis won the world cup, and obvisouly none of that team have played SOO

You'd think so right?

But not true.

N Fien.

But he is not the first:

T Carrol played for NZ in 2000 World Cup.

 

[RL The greatest game]

I can see a time in the not distance future when SOO has more none Australians playing than Australians unless the ARL commision start to get a grip on things. I for the life of me can't understand how somebody born and raised outside of Australia is allowed to play in SOO. It won't be long before the young poms that will be brought to the NRL when the new TV deal kicks in will be selected for SOO. I'm surprised that Sam Burgess and Gareth Ellis wern't asked to consider playing SOO.

 

[ANTiLAG]

I can see a time in the not distance future when SOO has more none Australians playing than Australians unless the ARL commision start to get a grip on things. I for the life of me can't understand how somebody born and raised outside of Australia is allowed to play in SOO. It won't be long before the young poms that will be brought to the NRL when the new TV deal kicks in will be selected for SOO. I'm surprised that Sam Burgess and Gareth Ellis wern't asked to consider playing SOO.

Steady on - they'd already played for Britain. But look at what the English did with Widdop to secure him! NZ may have to resort to that. Schedule a early May test each year - and secure the young talent.

 

[Joker's Wild]

More Kiwis trying to bag SOO. What a surprise

 

[Meth]

More Kiwis trying to bag SOO. What a surprise

Personally, I love Origin. You guys should take more pride in it by not courting Kiwis to play it.

 

[Green and Gold Machine]

No real surprise here if he does declare his allegiance to the Maroons/Kangaroos. Alarm bells rang when he wasn’t selected for the Kiwis’ ANZAC test team.

 

[Sharktooth]

Should having citizenship have any affect on being able to play for a country as that would truly show allegiance to the country.

 

[Aragorn]

Should having citizenship have any affect on being able to play for a country as that would truly show allegiance to the country.

you mean like if I hold an Australian passport, then I'm Australian?

nah that's sounds too simple - no one would agree to it

although makes perfect sense!

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

People can say what they want about a guy like Karmichael Hunt, but at least he was up front and consistent about wanting to play Origin above anything else.

What annoys me is guys like Tamou who before the Eels V Cowboys match said he wanted a big game to impress kiwi coach Kearney and then less than a month later decides he's from NSW.

Then we've got Kaisano who signs a letter of intent (albeit a non-binding and essentially useless piece of paper) to play for the Kiwis and now he's a Queenslander.

These guys are mercenaries plain and simple. Hey it's their choice and their life so it's up to them, but anyone who doesn't think it cheapens Origin/International league and makes this whole sport look like a joke is kidding themselves.

And I hate the idea that NZ should have to pick players simply to lock them up away from Origin.

 

[Aragorn]

Then we've got Kaisano who signs a letter of intent (albeit a non-binding and essentially useless piece of paper) to play for the Kiwis and now he's a Queenslander.

.

The fact that Tony Kemp made Kasiano sign a letter of intent to play for the Kiwi's is a f**king joke on Tony Kemp and the NZRL...

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Of course it is. What's the point of a letter if he can wake up the following morning and say "f**k it, changed my mind"? Just sounds like a lame excuse for him to justify his frequent flyer miles.

 

[Aragorn]

yeah but you cant shiet on the players and call them mercenaries when the adminstration are just as bad.

circus run by clowns.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

I can and I will. They're mercenaries. If they got 50k to play for the Kiwis and international league was treated with the same respect as Origin then there wouldn't even be a debate about it.

 

[Aragorn]

I can and I will. They're mercenaries. If they got 50k to play for the Kiwis and international league was treated with the same respect as Origin then there wouldn't even be a debate about it.

This wouldnt be a debate if the NZRL forked out 50K as well -but they won't because?..... they shouldnt have to? they're cheap? they cant afford it? it goes against they're principles? its cuts into their profits?

if two states can afford to pay that much, then you'd expect our national administrators to at least match, if not better it. They're failure to do so helps further supports the notion that international league is second fiddle to SOO...

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

And guys like Kasiano and Tamou go to where the money is. Hence why they're mercenaries.

 

[ANTiLAG]

Rugby League was founded on being mercenary. No point in complaining about it. It used to distinguish it from Union, but they finally caught up.

 

[Shorty]

I don't think it cheapens, these guys want to play for NSW or Queensland....it's not purely for the money...Tamou said he 'wanted to rip some heads off' before the match of Game 1.
It's more competitive, intense and it is the best of the best, they want to be part of something.

You don't get that intensity with the International game, you do with the Kiwis...but all they do is go for a few big hits and then get beat.
NZ wouldn't have this problem if they consistently beat Australia, and not just when Australia is complacent (sorry but it's true)....I'm not convinced by a team that goes and beats Aus, but then in loses convincingly in a one off match.

And yes, Bobby, I'd be fancying Queensland to beat a NZ team....and probably the same for NSW, actually.
You do realise, for the most part, it's easier to get an Aus jumper?

 

[NSW of Origin]

This wouldnt be a debate if the NZRL forked out 50K as well -but they won't because?..... they shouldnt have to? they're cheap? they cant afford it? it goes against they're principles? its cuts into their profits?

if two states can afford to pay that much, then you'd expect our national administrators to at least match, if not better it. They're failure to do so helps further supports the notion that international league is second fiddle to SOO...

it's not a case of higher level, then match the pay.

the matches the two states play reap in much more revenue than an AUS vs NZ match. there will be no point scheduling test matches if losses are going to be made by paying 30-odd players $50k for each game.

we all know that it should be the highest standard of rugby league, but the history of both levels of the game over the past 30 years has turned origin into an absolute earnings juggernaut, whereas the largely one-sided drubbings of test matches has made international game uninteresting to all but the diehard fan.

 

[shinobi]

I can imagine in about 10 years time when they show the players junior clubs they played for half of them will be South Auckland teams like Mangere and Otara. Cant wait for that!