rl$50,000 for your loyalty.rl

Shocking and it will only get worse until something is done to stop it. I love Origin but not at the expense of Test Footy!!

The quote from Taumolo says it all. When interviewed after SOO one he said, in his Kiwi bro accent, "It was great, everything I expected it to be. Getting an Australian jersey was just an added bonus." Shows how cheap representing the green and gold has become. Dally Messenger will be turning in his grave!

Is there anyone in the Australian media or current/former players, coaches talking about the the lack of desire to represent the green and gold and test football in general?

Sam Burgess! He was on the NRL on Fox the other week and stated that he wouldn't turn his back on his country for anything or any amount of money.

Sadly SOO rules, its the parochial nature of the states and territories in Australia. Generally the ex players talk about representing their country as the highlight of their career. I do think the demise of proper tours and an Ashes series has contributed to the SOO prominence.

The nzrl will have to match the current soo match payments when their series begins.

Neither did Morley. THe media made up so much crap about him wanting to play Origin and giving up the chance to play Origin.

Utter bolloçks, he was asked if he'd like to play Origin and he said yes, that was it. They made the rest of the crap up as he'd got residency status aswell. more to do with moving back here when he retires than playing for NSW.

The other funny was Dally Cherry Evans being asked to play for England as he mum's English. Guess what. His mum ain't English.

with a name like that there must be some southern toff in him!

rl"If the rules are wrong then change the rules."rl

The 'Make yourself eligible for Aus' rule is a recent one I presume? Didn't Craig Smith (NZ) and Adrian Lam (PNG) both play Origin but stayed loyal to their country?

It's bizarre that it's done at all. State of Origin has nothing to do with national team availability, you qualify through senior rugby league. It doesn't even cover all of Australia ffs. It isn't even like Australia needs the carrot at international level anyway. I genuinely don't understand how where you start a career dictates your national allegience.

Surely Australia wants more competitive internationals and higher profile representative games? Surely diluting Australia and relaxing Origin rules would help with both? Or is it more important to win than improve the game

I think it's more down to the fact that GB haven't been competitive with Australia during pretty much everybody's lifetime. I'm sure if we rattled off a couple of test series in a row (agree about preferring that to Tri-Nations) the international game would peak a bit more.

That said, Saints v Wigan generates more passion at a neighbours level than England v Australia because there's a closer identity with self in those games i.e. it feels like "ours" whereas every Tom, Dick and Harry can ride the coattails of success for internationals (as is often seen with football fans too). I'm sure that sense of identity and beating a local rival, some of whose supporters you may even work with, carries greater sway for the average RL fan than the challenge of an opponent from the other side of the world who you rarely come into contact with.

I disagree, i'd love nothing more than to stick one over the aussies. I'd have wire playing in the Chp if we could give the aussies a few good pastings and see their smug faces wiped clean

www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6399211464 According to the poll at the end of this article, 80% do not want players to be allowed to play origin unless they sign up to play for Austrailia. Although the question in the poll is biased. Its the exact opposite to the British RL flatcapper who doesnt want Chase, Widdop, Widdop, Read, Brough etc to sign up to play for England.

www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6399211464 According to the poll at the end of this article, 80% do not want players to be allowed to play origin unless they sign up to play for Austrailia. Although the question in the poll is biased. Its the exact opposite to the British RL flatcapper who doesnt want Chase, Widdop, Widdop, Read, Brough etc to sign up to play for England.

State of Origin gives us a fantastic blueprint for taking the international game forward and making it more valuable.

If internationals were played under "Origin rules", if the refereeing of facials, high tackles, biff and the like was as lax in international games as it is Origin there would be much more interest, especially from fair-weather fans and non-fans who might not otherwise be interested in League.

Is it coincidence that in the last 10 years especially Origin has been taken to new heights? I don't reckon so. Origin is getting more popular because the stuff that's been removed from League, the sanatisation of the game, hasn't been applied to Origin.

Bring back the tri-nations and referee it under Origin rules. It'll take maybe 5 years but you'd soon fill stadiums and significantly increase tv viewership if you give people the unregulated biff, niggle and hatred.

On the other hand, think of the children!