NRL considering eligibility overhaul

NRL considering eligibility overhaul
www.dailytelegraph.com.au/

THE NRL’s representative eligibility laws are facing an overhaul to allow Pacific Test stars such as Broncos duo Josh McGuire and Anthony Milford to play for Queensland and Samoa.

The Courier-Mail can reveal the NRL is considering relaxing eligibility rules to ensure NRL players do not jeopardise their Origin hopes when they turn out for second-tier nations.

Maroons and PNG coach Mal Meninga will be consulted on a controversial plan which would enable players with ties to Samoa, Tonga, PNG and Fiji to have dual eligibility for NSW or Queensland.

Meninga was dismayed when the NRL rejected his request to select PNG-born Country Origin wing David Mead for the Kumuls’ Test against Fiji last Saturday night.

Milford was also banned from appearing for Samoa in the Pacific Test against Tonga because he represented Queensland in the under-20 Origin clash last season.

Under the proposed reform, Milford and McGuire would be allowed to play for Samoa and Queensland without pledging allegiance to one outfit as required under existing rules.
Milford’s ties to Samoa would only be severed if he represented a tier-one nation such as Australia, England or New Zealand.

The success of last week’s Pacific Tests between Samoa-Tonga and Fiji-PNG underlined the importance of the NRL’s best players being allowed to play for emerging nations.

NRL game-integration boss Andrew Hill confirmed the code’s rep-eligibility rules, last amended in 2012, would be reviewed to help improve the standard of Test football.

“We need to review all aspects of the rep weekend and one of those things is the eligibility rules,” Hill said.

“By most measures it was a brilliant weekend of representative football and it highlighted the passion NRL players have in their Pacific heritage.

“The eligibility rules are complex, that’s the challenge, but we want a balance between opportunity for NRL players and the integrity of the representative teams.

“We want to see the Pacific nations get stronger which would be wonderful for international football.’’
Under existing eligibility rules, players are allowed one change per World Cup cycle.

In McGuire’s case, the Broncos prop has twice contacted authorities, the first time in 2011 seeking to renounce his Samoan ties after being picked in Australia’s Four Nations train-on squad.

McGuire then sought assurances last year that he could represent Samoa in the Four Nations after being picked in Queensland’s extended squad for Origin III.

Kiwi and English Test stars would still be shut-out of Origin. Samoan coach Matt Parish supports the move, insisting emerging nations would benefit from relaxed eligibility rules.

“If we play more games, we can compete and we need guys who will be eligible to play,” Parish said.

“There’s a couple of things we’re hoping may come off but nothing official at this stage.
“The Samoan Rugby League can’t do it without the help of the NRL. For our nations to develop, we need to play regularly against leading nations and we need our best players to compete.’’