Joseph Suaalii to play for Samoa in RLWC

[Thirteen]

Collins will be in the 24 for certain

Just goes to show the lack of decent Aussie props going around. Collins would not be in the top 10 props in the game. At The Roosters he isn’t even in the top 3.

[Thirteen]

Kent ( with an E) was quite nasty last night. I was fuming listening to his dribble. Once upon a time he was semi likeable, but recently he has been loud and obnoxious and bullying other members of the panel , shouting over them and refusing to listen to their arguments.
To claim that JS is doing so he can force the roosters’ hand and get more money and/or play fullback is ridiculous and unfair to a 19 yo who has shown nothing but maturity and love for the club. He based his opinion on ZERO fact. What a shameful display of journalism ( if that’s what he was trying to deliver)

For some reason Kent is always an angry little man. I doubt he is very happy in life.

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

With players chopping and changing who they will play for, being allowed to play for their birth country, or their father's country like Victor...Why not just have hard and fast rules that stop players being eligible for multiple countries? Suaalii was born in Australia so he can only play for Australia. Or if you want go the other way, and make the rule that he must play for the country one or both of his parents is from. Whatever rule you make, it applies to everyone, and that's the end of it. No waiting to see if you get picked for Australia, then if not go and play for someone else. That devalues the jumper of that second choice country. And now that Suaalii wants to play for Samoa, fair enough, but he can never change his mind and also play for Australia in the future. He represents Samoa from now on.

[weplayforprems]

Well then Wighton will be in the centres.
I know the squads are made up of 24 players I was just naming guys who would be in contention.

Fair enough mate. Val has been enormous this year. I’d be happy with him on the wing and Wighton in the centres. Val has to be in that backline somewhere though

[weplayforprems]

I don't get it personally. Unless he was told he wasn't going to make the Aus side, why did he defect? I blame the NRL and ARL for cheapening the Aussie jersey. It should be held in the same regard as Origin if not greater.
My team of 24 for anyone who cares (slightly biased):
1. Teddy
2. Holmes
3. Fatrell
4. Burton
5. JAC
6. Munster
7. DCE
8. Jurbo
9. Grant
10. Lodge
11. Murray
12. Frizell
13. Yeo
14. Cook
15. Carrigan
16. McLean
17. Martin
18. Cleary
19. Wighton
20. Coates
21. Sam Walker (for experience)
22. RCG
23. N. Butcher
24. Cobbo

Forgot Benny Hunt mate. Seems pretty nailed on that him and Harry will share the hooking role

[rcptn]

Extract from the Ted 2 movie:
Ted:
There are no chicks with d*cks, Johnny, only guys with tits.

Oh shit that reminds me of this

[zac]

apart from the emotional reasons it makes good footy sense - there will be less pressure and he's guaranteed a starting position. great for his development. good luck joe!

[rooster till i die]

No suprise… he will play for his family at this WC and will represent Australia when he plays for the Wallabies..

Looks like it is heading that way!

[HunchoRooster]

Forgot Benny Hunt mate. Seems pretty nailed on that him and Harry will share the hooking role

Yep you are right. Id definitely put Benny Hunt in there. You'd assume they'd take Cook and Grant aswell though

[HunchoRooster]

Just goes to show the lack of decent Aussie props going around. Collins would not be in the top 10 props in the game. At The Roosters he isn’t even in the top 3.

I agree. He's average. Which is why I didn't have him in my Aus squad. Helps when Papalii, Paulo, Haas, AFB, RCG, Welch all declare elsewhere or are injured though so he might get a chance from Mal being a QLDer

[OMR]

With players chopping and changing who they will play for, being allowed to play for their birth country, or their father's country like Victor...Why not just have hard and fast rules that stop players being eligible for multiple countries? Suaalii was born in Australia so he can only play for Australia. Or if you want go the other way, and make the rule that he must play for the country one or both of his parents is from. Whatever rule you make, it applies to everyone, and that's the end of it. No waiting to see if you get picked for Australia, then if not go and play for someone else. That devalues the jumper of that second choice country. And now that Suaalii wants to play for Samoa, fair enough, but he can never change his mind and also play for Australia in the future. He represents Samoa from now on.

Different scenarios between radley and suallii. As a second tier nation, in a WC, players can represent their country of heritage and still be available to play for Australia. It’s a reasonable rule that allows pacific nations to be reasonably represented and give the game a more international flavour.
Remember interstate games when NSW had multiple players from Queensland who had come down to play in the NSWRL comp, and NSW won by a landslide every time ? Since they made it an origin contest it has become sensational contest. Having players play for their second tier country will heighten interest and make the contests much tighter.

[King Salvo]

Different scenarios between radley and suallii. As a second tier nation, in a WC, players can represent their country of heritage and still be available to play for Australia. It’s a reasonable rule that allows pacific nations to be reasonably represented and give the game a more international flavour.
Remember interstate games when NSW had multiple players from Queensland who had come down to play in the NSWRL comp, and NSW won by a landslide every time ? Since they made it an origin contest it has become sensational contest. Having players play for their second tier country will heighten interest and make the contests much tighter.

Currently they have the parents or grandparents rule enabling players to play for these tier 2 nations - down the track that provision may well be not applicable and they will have to change it to great grandparents/great great grandparents/great great great grandparents.

The question is though if one of these tier 2 nations happens to win a RLWC Cup can they still be deemed a tier 2 nation though?

The SOO Eligibility rules currently allow for anyone who fits the criteria of living in either state before the age of 13 to play, and also represent an international team - as long as it's not England or New Zealand.

They may need to look at the above and just have the first part "living in either state before the age of 13 can play SOO " irrespective of any international team they have played for.

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

Different scenarios between radley and suallii. As a second tier nation, in a WC, players can represent their country of heritage and still be available to play for Australia. It’s a reasonable rule that allows pacific nations to be reasonably represented and give the game a more international flavour.
Remember interstate games when NSW had multiple players from Queensland who had come down to play in the NSWRL comp, and NSW won by a landslide every time ? Since they made it an origin contest it has become sensational contest. Having players play for their second tier country will heighten interest and make the contests much tighter.

Ok. so make them commit to the 2nd tier nation and play with that nation all the time. I'd even let them play Origin. But they can't chop and change between countries. It's a confusing mess that no-one understands and makes a bit of a joke of the international game imo, which they're supposedly trying to grow

[King Salvo]

Ok. so make them commit to the 2nd tier nation and play with that nation all the time. I'd even let them play Origin. But they can't chop and change between countries. It's a confusing mess that no-one understands and makes a bit of a joke of the international game imo, which they're supposedly trying to grow

It's making a bit of a mockery out of rep football in being able to play Origin and then play for a second tier nation other than Australia and also be able to change their mind and play for Australia when it suits them

Meaning such players are denying SOO and Aus National selection opportunities for players who don't have the opportunity to play test footy for other tier 2 nations.

What is going to happen to the Aus National side in the years to come when QLD/NSW teams are full of players who will choose to play for tier 2 nations instead of Australia.

If SOO has nothing to do with the Australia National Team selections them open it up to any player irrespective of what National side they have played for or will play for based on the eligibility criteria of living in either state before the age of 13

[zac]

international league needs all the help it can get - i don't have a problem with making the rules flexible for second tier nations and allowing tonga and samoa to field strong teams