I bet he means Taylor, I used to get those 2 mixed up a bit.

I don’t really have an issue with the Aussies who qualify, we will be playing a Tonga side who very few have even set foot in the place & their fans won’t raise an eyebrow when they step out in the red shirts. What really should worry us is the post that says they are not bothered as no one from their club is involved! For heavens sakes it’s our national team if we can’t get excited by that then we might as well pack the game up & hand our grounds over to Barrats for housing.

I am always exited at the prospect of International games, so much so I will be boarding a plane next week to go to NZ, quite frankly I don't give a hoot what other nations dò *Tonga can't field a team of their own without employing Aussies BUT we can and that is the big difference, we don't need them we have our own to select, and for me personally I don't want them anywhere near the team, nor the bloody coach either.
*The Tongan team, lets face it, teams like Tonga, Samoa, Italy, Lebanon, Fiji, USA are contrivances of teams made up mainly of Australians and Kiwi's to make the World Cup competition sound more global, add to that the Number of nationals other than Irish, Scots or Welsh that populate their teams and we realise we only have 5 nations that could actually field a team of their own. The big 3 plus France and PNG

One way to remember is that the colour of your front lawn is not 'Taylor'

Why contrived? If people are happy to represent the country they choose what’s the problem, the boring code of our game seem to have no problem with it or with teams being way out of their depth. In fact they have made a big occasion out of their international set up which I am sure will attract yet more people into their game. All our fans seem to do is hunt out every negative they can find. The Aussies can’t even be bothered to play a touring side this year ( only a game against NZ as they were contracted to) I really do despair for the game I have followed for 60 years. I hope you have a good trip I was hoping to go but things have cropped up, at least it’s on TV.

I think a lot of RL fans show some very strange attitudes.

We're a diverse nation. Look at other National teams in other sports over the years...

Terry Butcher (Born in Singapore) John Barnes(Jamaica)Owen Hargreaves(Canada)Tony Dorigo(Australia)
Ben Stokes(New Zealand) Eoin Morgan(Ireland) Jofra Archer(Barbados)Kevin Pieterson(South Africa)
Zola Budd(South Africa) Mo Farah(Somalia)
Bradley Wiggins(Belgium) Louisa Pouli(Greece) Chris Froome(Kenya) Luol Deng(Sudan) Greg Rusedski(Canada)Mike Catt(South Africa)
Justin Rose(South Africa)

Plus many many more.

I think we as a nation need to get over it, and just welcome the fact that if someone commits themselves to the cause, we should welcome them and support them. The RL players that are foreign born who have been picked, have been picked because the rules say they are eligible. Until that rule changes, and I don't think it will, you should either get behind them or if you don't agree, don't. No point whining about something that is perfectly allowed to happen.

All those you mentioned above represented England/GB for many years and some from a young age. This just feels like they've been here for a year so lets see if their eligible, would they of been picked if they were still in the NRL and had never come over here to play? We will never know. Also if they go on to represent England/GB for many years to come then fair enough.

On my way there this weekend. Weird squad which does not look balanced. The wingers not even in top form this season.
Very unsure about Flake Austin but Jackson Hastings will continue to be a revelation both on and off the field.

I don't like the rule but if the rest of the game does it you can't blame us for doing the same.

Australia and New Zealand have been doing this for years.

Personally I think you should have to hold a national passport to qualify, but until it is across the board then we have to use the same rules as everyone else and not shoot ourselves in the foot.

That doesn’t make it right, does it!



Get a grip, people on this forum talk relatively, no one’s saying what your suggesting!

Exactly.
The Japanese 30 man squad for the current collapsathon cup contains 12 "foreign" born players, from the Islands, NZ, Australia and South Africa, but do you hear Rugga fans bemoaning this use of foreign talent? Of course not, they applaud the team for topping their group and the Japanese fans have taken these foreign players as their own. Given Britain ruled half the planet, it's hardly surprising that their are heritage "foreign" players willing to put their hands up and if their good enough, then why not pick the best available.

Smashing, wonderful for Japan it is just a Basterdisation they and that silly game employ, its not for me Axe, if you wish to accept it fair enough, personally I think we have enough player's to pick from without employing people who have no emotional connection with our country, for me you need passion and pride in abundance, to these guy's I don't believe it is anymore that a job of work, it is just another jersey they will put on, if you suggest that they will have that same emotional connection with putting that kit on than a true Brit would have then I don't believe it.