Maybe Hayne might want to.

I do not really follow football, I just listed some players that are current English squad players that are not Anglo Saxon and have roots from another country, like Hayne or Simms.

Is Hargreaves in the current England squad?
I thought he was a Canadian that maybe qualified for Germany on residency but was called up by England as a player better than they could develop through their junior system? (but his Dad was from the old Dart)

A bit like Heighinton or Chase.

A player should decide who he represents and thats final (as you suggested) I just get fed up with the concept that SOO is some black hole dragging players from other nations in to build an Australian squad.
If that was the case why does Benji Marshall an Australian Schoolboy not get sucked into the SOO vortex?

Most Australian get a bit defensive when a concept like SOO is built from nothing with plenty of detractors in the early days and is developed into a fantastic series that is the benchmark for the game in Oz, then every bugger says it should be open to other Nationalities and its too big and destroys the International game etc etc.
Maybe if some "BIG" teams were more competitive at Test level SOO would not be seen as the best v the best?

Then that is his choice, he should decide and stick with it.

I think we are getting in to very strange territory. I would hope we have moved on from Anglo-saxon Is Hargreaves in the current England squad?
I thought he was a Canadian that maybe qualified for Germany on residency but was called up by England as a player better than they could develop through their junior system? (but his Dad was from the old Dart)

Wait, are we talking about League or Union?

Harmichael comes to mind!!

I assume you are talking about karmichael hunt, who emigrated to Australia with his family aged 11, took up rugby league with a local club and moved through the ranks to nrl, qld and Australia? How is that poaching?

Good point made about the 2 tier structure. I'm not sure if it would help or hinder the Tier 2 nations though, as their players could be seen as 'cast offs' from tier one nations.

I'd go along with it though. If say Brough, McIllorum, Chris Bridge et al don't get picked for England it would be good if they could then play for Ireland, Scotland or Wales to give those nations a boost, give those players some international game time and make the Tier 2 nation's games more appealing.

It works both ways in regards to SoO and such. Australia take their pick of all South Sea/Australasian talent, New Zealand pick those Australian/South Sea players who don't get picked for Australia and qualify for them. So it's swings and roundabouts really.

Australia picks players that are either born in Australia or have moved to the country for economic reasons and end up playing the dominant Sport in two of the big States.


Other Countries look for players that were born or live or have lived in Australia and have been developed in the NRL that have connections with their Nation so they can be selected for their Test Team.

It does not really matter in the end, I just get ed off with hypocrisy and people that live in Glass Houses.

yes.

Yes, some are.
But they will pick the big 3 nations, regardless of what a player may feel, or what he may think his heritage makes him, or whether he feels Fijian, Tongan, Samoan, Papuan, Scottish, Irish, or Welsh, he is going to choose to play for NZ or England for the opportunity to play in the top tier internationals and Australian for the chance to play in the top tier internationals and SoO

Its more than $0

Akuila Uate was Fijian when he lived in Fiji, his dad was Fijian when he played for Fiji, Akuila Uate was Fijian in 2008 when he played for Fiji. When SoO came calling, he for some reason became a born and bread, died in the wool, sheep shearing, tinny drinking, reincarnation of crocodile dundee apparently.

because mostly they are half d mid-season Anzac tests with a kiwi b team playing because of a lot of convenient injuries. In actual, competitive tests the Kiwis are.......competitive. If they are competitive with the best 17 players Australia can put out, they are likely better than a team with only half of the best players Australia can put out.