



Origin eligibility ruling still raises questions


Steve Mascord

Origin debate ... Queensland's Greg Inglis

Origin debate ... Queensland's Greg Inglis Photo: Getty Images






OK, a few questions thrown up by the ruling.



2) What happens to players raised in other Australian states?






5) Does the rule apply to Australia?





But how about what they've replaced it with?




But these are all issues worth considering.





Let's go to the comments ...






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9 comments so far

  • The answer to question 1 is the father / son clause. His father plays for QLD so he would qualify for QLD not matter where he was born or raised....did you miss that one Steve?

    Date and time
    December 21, 2012, 11:29AM
    • Does anyone else find the origin rules a farce? And the people dreaming them up devoid of any knowledge of the history of why they are there in the first place? Maybe they are laid off public servants trying to hone their red tape skills.

      Origin started because one team got thrashed every year, it was a way of evening up the talent. NSW had poker machines thus richer clubs. So to even up the series players who has started in QLD were able to go back and play for them. The whole point was to even up the matches, not make some perfect list of who can play where.

      Now, the teams are almost even, a different bounce or a line call and NSW would have won several of the past series. You could even play QLD based NRL players against NSW ones and it would be even, the QLD clubs can stand on their own.

      Looking for some kind of perfection is a fool's errand. Look how the video ref is going, trying to get it perfect just takes away from the game. There will always be a player who slips through the cracks.

      Date and time
      December 21, 2012, 1:17PM
      • I think we need to go back to the origin of state of origin.

        In days gone by (up until the late 70’s) the state clash was largely used to pick the Australian team.

        In those days when NSW had money from pokies and Qld didn’t, any ½ decent player in Qld was quickly picked up by a NSW team. The result was NSW always won by an embarrassing score. Probably 20 or more of the 26 players on the field were Queenslanders.

        State of origin was ½ heartedly agreed to by NSW (but only as a one off, as they feared a level playing field would be unfair to them) But I digress. The players pillaged by NSW were established players essentially from the Brisbane comp.

        I don’t think we need to look at where they lived before turning 13 but as in the original, where they first played rep football (ie a district team rather than the local club). The premise of origin was which state was responsible for the player’s development. That premise should remain as it underpins the whole concept .

        Under the “living” rule, it seems that it is possible to qualify for both states (you have to have “lived” in the state before turning and not be living in the state when turning 13).

        This is the essence of Queensland’s mantra and motivation and is one reason why they have won 7 series on the trot.

        Date and time
        December 21, 2012, 2:17PM
        • Steve,
          Like most people, I think my solution is best.
          When you play your first first-grade game you are required to fill in a form stating your country of affiliation; if that country is Australia you state whether you want to play for NSW or Queensland. It should be a question of identity, not where you lived at a certain point in your life. Once you state these choices they are immutable. If GI was a Macksville boy but followed the Maroons, then let him be a Maroon. If Sterlo was born in Qld but saw himself as a NSWelshman, let him select that option.
          The only catch is that your affiliation is forever. If you say you are a Kiwi, then no Origin for you. If you say you are an Aussie, no switching to England (yes I'm thinking of you Heighno). Will we see players paid inducements after one FG game to pick a certain country and/or state? It's not super-likely, but make it illegal anyway with the player being given a five year ban from rep footy.
          What do you reckon is wrong with my (genius) scheme?

          Date and time
          December 21, 2012, 2:33PM
          • One glaring flaw in your plan Mike. If you are born & raised in one place, but decide you want to play for another -- for whatever reason, probably because you are young & gullible -- let's say a place that you had never even visited. And let's say this happens a few years before you even play First Grade. It has nothing to do with Origin. Actually, it is cheating. Couldn't happen? Macksville is not in Queensland.

            New South Wales
            Date and time
            December 21, 2012, 5:17PM
          • Lothar, where did you buy your atlas? Of course Macksville is in Qld, everywhere is potentially in Qld. Depends how good the player is.

            Big W
            Date and time
            December 21, 2012, 6:15PM
          • Lothai,
            This is precisely my point. GI is a Macksville lad but feels some special connection to Qld - dunno why; that's his business - then he commits to play for Aust/Qld after his first FG game. He is then representing the place that he feels connected to, and we never have to worry again about complicated formulae for deciding place of origin. For obvious reasons, the vast majority of players will want to represent the place where they have grown up - but if you are born in Sydney of Kiwi parents and really feel like an NZer, your entire emotional connection is to NZ rather than Australia, then that is what you nominate - and you have to stick with that. And likewise with Origin. Evidently GI felt a connection to Qld over NSW; good luck to him.

            Date and time
            December 21, 2012, 6:46PM
        • Is this Origin under 13 rule going to be called the James Tamou rule? As far as I can see it is a knee jerk reaction to the QLD selection of James Tamou. When Justin Horo plays for NSW but then turns out for the Kiwis are we going to have another rule called the Justin Horo rule. Perhaps a Burgess rule for the Burgess brothers so they can play for NSW and England/GB. James Tamou got selected for Australia because the NZ coaches couldn't recognize talent equivalent to that of Brad Thorn, Australian and QLD coaches could.
          It all comes down to NRL players getting to a certain level where they have put that much into their careers that they want to play for the highest level they can and it doesn't matter whether it is QLD, NSW or AUS and NZ. The new rule is more of a reflection on the size of the talent pool and the restraint of trade that is the salary cap. The only possible result is a large pool of, probably, polynesian players ineligible for any representative selection available for NRL clubs while State of Origin fixtures are played. So in that respect it could probably be called the two birds rule.

          Date and time
          December 23, 2012, 1:17AM
          • Tamou played for NSW in 2012 after living in NZ for 13 years 8 years in NSW and 3 years in QLD. Perhaps a better solution is if you arrived before February 2001 then you can play for NSW and QLD if you arrived after that date then since your joining the queue for sponsorship to become an Australian citizen you can't. Pretty simple rule really it should apply to Rugby League as well as every other workplace in Australia

            Date and time
            December 27, 2012, 9:09PM

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