Should players be able to represent Australia if they are based overseas?

[Wizardman]

Today, the Australian Rugby Union slightly left a gate open by allowing long serving Australian ARU players to play club football overseas as well as being eligible to represent Australia.

Does the NRL have a similar policy regarding players who only play in the NRL are able to represent Australia? I know the Kiwis can call up players from the ESL and Queensland did it with Allan Langer.

If Inglis or Thurston packed their bags for the ESL today, should Australia be allowed to pick them?

 

[gUt]

Yes

 

[Penrose Warrior]

In theory yes, the Kiwis have always considered UK-based players.

But anyone who heads to the UK nowadays is for pension money or they're not good enough to make it down here. Plus it's tough to get a handle on who's playing well enough to be considered, given it's a weaker competition.

So yes, but it won't ever happen. Who'd be the closest now, dog nuts Monaghan?

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Its not something that NEEDS to happen and i can understand why the NRL dont (to discourage players leaving and to discredit players that do), but I think it could be a good move were the ARLC inclined to change their thinking on the ESL to a more positive approach.....

If Australian ESL players were picked for the Aussie team, it would go a long way in promoting the ESL as a high quality competition instead of just a shitty backwater retirement village. I imagine it would be far better for the ENglish comps marketing to present a CURRENT aussie rep instead of a FORMER (read: over the hill) one.

 

[GongPanther]

British players that historically played in the Australian competitions were always available for selection.

So I thought it was a given if any Oz players played elsewhere.

Not that any player that I can remember in being in that position.

 

[Canard]

Darren Smith did so very recently.

IBM would know all about him

 

[DiegoNT]

Darren smith and Jamie Lyon have both represented australia from St Helens

 

[Danish]

I don't think there is any ban on it right now is there?

Thing is Australian quality players don't tend to go to the ESL anymore as there is more money to be made in league in the NRL these days

 

[langpark]

I think it's basically just an unwritten rule.

They ARE available for selection as they should be. (if it's a mid-season test though, like the ANZAC one though, forget it)

 

[The Great Dane]

It's more a case of there rarely being a international quality Australian playing in the ESL then it is a case of an unwritten rule.

I mean I can't think of one since Lyon did it a few years back that has truly merited a Roos jersey while playing in the ESL, and I reckon it's only going to become rarer and rarer for both Australian and Kiwi internationals to be playing in the ESL as the two competitions continue to grow further and further apart funding and quality wise.

But you never know Carney might go on to have a blinder of a couple of years and force his way onto the squad. He'd be the most capable and the most likely to be able to do it at the moment, if the NRL/ARLC would let him play for the Roos anyway that is.

 

[langpark]

^ That's true, the fact also that Aus never lacks depth too is another reason why it rarely happens. If Thurston, for example switched to SL tomorrow, he may not get a spot at the end of the season. Whereas if we were in NZ or England's position (underdog), he'd be the first one picked.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Today, the Australian Rugby Union slightly left a gate open by allowing long serving Australian ARU players to play club football overseas as well as being eligible to represent Australia.

Does the NRL have a similar policy regarding players who only play in the NRL are able to represent Australia? I know the Kiwis can call up players from the ESL and Queensland did it with Allan Langer.

If Inglis or Thurston packed their bags for the ESL today, should Australia be allowed to pick them?

I dont think there is a rule where they can only pick Australian based players.

But none of the best players in recent times have gone over to the ESL.

Unless there's a case in the next few years where a Thurston or Inglis goes over which is highly unlikely despite the offers from Marwin Koukash.