DIEHARD
12-11-07, 12:44 PM
Australia comes first for Farah
WESTS Tigers hooker Robbie Farah was last night forced to abandon his dream of helping Lebanon qualify for the 2008 rugby league World Cup.
Farah told The Daily Telegraph he had been warned that assisting Lebanon would cost him a chance to represent NSW and Australia.
ARL chief executive Geoff Carr has since confirmed this, saying the rules stop players helping one country qualify for the World Cup and then playing for another nation at the tournament.
Lebanon play Samoa next Wednesday in England for the 10th and final World Cup berth in Australia next spring.
"I'm not going. I had to make a choice and I want to play for Australia and NSW," Farah said.
"Those are the rules. It's pretty disappointing - I finally get a clearance from the Wests Tigers and then all of a sudden I'm told about this rule.
"I know they can't change it just for me, but I really wanted to help Lebanon qualify. They have a young side and I have a lot of friends playing for them.
"But my priority is playing for NSW and Australia. It's a dream of mine. It always has been."
Farah said he could understand the rule being there for teams like England and New Zealand.
"You don't want players chopping and changing," he said. "But Lebanon is an emerging nation. I don't think they are going to win the World Cup.
"If I can help them and maybe make the players better players then that would help international rugby league."
Carr admitted it was an awkward situation but stressed Farah simply had to make a choice - Australia or Lebanon.
"I appreciate what Robbie is trying to do," Carr said. "But if he goes over and Lebanon win then they are in the World Cup, who does he play for then?
"Robbie has to decide just as guys like Sonny Bill Williams and Benji Marshall had to do.
"It's Robbie's call in the end."
Wests Tigers chief executive Steve Noyce said Farah was only trying to improve international rugby league.
"We are always trying to promote international football - anything that is counter-productive to that would be going against what we are trying to achieve," Noyce said.
Farah will push for a NSW spot next year but Cameron Smith has a firm grip on the Australian job.
http://www.foxsports.com.au
WESTS Tigers hooker Robbie Farah was last night forced to abandon his dream of helping Lebanon qualify for the 2008 rugby league World Cup.
Farah told The Daily Telegraph he had been warned that assisting Lebanon would cost him a chance to represent NSW and Australia.
ARL chief executive Geoff Carr has since confirmed this, saying the rules stop players helping one country qualify for the World Cup and then playing for another nation at the tournament.
Lebanon play Samoa next Wednesday in England for the 10th and final World Cup berth in Australia next spring.
"I'm not going. I had to make a choice and I want to play for Australia and NSW," Farah said.
"Those are the rules. It's pretty disappointing - I finally get a clearance from the Wests Tigers and then all of a sudden I'm told about this rule.
"I know they can't change it just for me, but I really wanted to help Lebanon qualify. They have a young side and I have a lot of friends playing for them.
"But my priority is playing for NSW and Australia. It's a dream of mine. It always has been."
Farah said he could understand the rule being there for teams like England and New Zealand.
"You don't want players chopping and changing," he said. "But Lebanon is an emerging nation. I don't think they are going to win the World Cup.
"If I can help them and maybe make the players better players then that would help international rugby league."
Carr admitted it was an awkward situation but stressed Farah simply had to make a choice - Australia or Lebanon.
"I appreciate what Robbie is trying to do," Carr said. "But if he goes over and Lebanon win then they are in the World Cup, who does he play for then?
"Robbie has to decide just as guys like Sonny Bill Williams and Benji Marshall had to do.
"It's Robbie's call in the end."
Wests Tigers chief executive Steve Noyce said Farah was only trying to improve international rugby league.
"We are always trying to promote international football - anything that is counter-productive to that would be going against what we are trying to achieve," Noyce said.
Farah will push for a NSW spot next year but Cameron Smith has a firm grip on the Australian job.
http://www.foxsports.com.au