It is difficult for young NRL players of Pasifika or New Zealand heritage who are expected to carry a torch for the family but at the same time hold ambitions to step away from their shadow.
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who → expect → shadow
Changed eligibility rules have thrown up multiple challenges, including threats to the future of the Kangaroos, who play the Kiwis in the World Cup final on Sunday.
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who → change → Sunday
Consider the case of 22-year-old Roosters premiership player Robert Toia, who represented Queensland and Tonga this year.
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who → consider → Queensland
Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters received a long text from the young centre late on the day before the NRL grand final, in which Toia declared his World Cup allegiance to Tonga – reneging on an earlier undertaking to Walters to represent Australia if selected.
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Toia → receive → Australia
Walters was disappointed with Toia’s decision, particularly because it followed the defection days earlier of Titans and Maroons winger Jojo Fifita to Tonga in the World Cup.
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it → follow → Cup
However, he understood that Toia, with a grand final to play the following day, wanted to clear his mind of the competing loyalties and the family pressure.
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Toia → understand → loyalties
“I don’t hold any grudges,” says Walters.
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Walters → hold → grudges
“They need to go where their heart is.
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heart → need → ?
I said that to both of them.
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I → say → them
But that’s OK.
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that → ’ → ?
They are just doing what is best for them.”
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what → do → them
The passion of many NRL players, like Melbourne’s Eli Katoa, for their ancestral homelands, such as Tonga and Samoa, is almost endemic, while others face relentless pressure from their extended family to represent the land of their fathers – despite the pay disparity of $850 per game compared with the Kangaroos receiving $40,000 for the tournament.
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Kangaroos → face → tournament
New International Rugby League board eligibility rules will allow more players like Toia to elect to play for countries other than Australia.
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players → allow → Australia
Under the rules in place for this year’s World Cup, players are eligible to be selected by the country where one of their grandparents was born.
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one → select → grandparents
But the IRLB this week extended the criteria to cover the birthplaces of eight great-grandparents, meaning the supply of NRL players to Pacific countries competing in future World Cups will cover the next generation of players.
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supply → extend → players
Casey McLean, a 20-year-old centre, was born in Blacktown, plays for Penrith, represented NSW in Origin this year and will play for New Zealand in Sunday’s World Cup final.
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McLean → bear → final
As the number of homegrown players of Pasifika and New Zealand heritage approximates half the NRL population, the eligibility rules both ensure the best players are available for the code’s big money earner, State of Origin, while also making international rugby league more competitive and therefore more lucrative in terms of TV rights.
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league → approximate → rights
The rules, however, run the risk of redistributing NRL talent among the World Cup countries, rather than growing it at both grassroots level in the emerging countries and in Australia itself.
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rules → run → Australia
As players in the NRL increasingly commit to New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and England, the numbers in the pool available for the Kangaroos diminishes.
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numbers → commit → Kangaroos
The NRL threatens to become the English Premier League, whose riches attract the world’s best soccer players, reducing the availability of positions for players of English background.
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riches → threaten → background
Significantly, England has not won a FIFA World Cup since 1966.
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England → win → 1966
Walters recognises the development problem ahead.
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Walters → recognise → problem
“We need to have more avenues for players eligible only for Australia,” he says.
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he → need → Australia
“We need Australia to develop big forwards and probably wingers as well.
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Australia → need → forwards
The Polynesian players develop a bit quicker than the guys of Australian heritage only.”
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players → develop → heritage
Pointing to the size difference at junior levels, he adds: “We also need to ensure Australian kids stay in the game.”
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kids → point → game
Walters concedes this year’s World Cup exposed the Kangaroos’ lack of depth in middle forwards.
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Cup → concede → forwards
Australia’s starting props against Samoa in the World Cup semi-final were Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, who represented Samoa at the 2019 tournament, and Keaon Koloamatangi, who played for Tonga at the 2022 iteration.
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who → start → iteration
Both switched their allegiance to Australia and were desperately needed in the early clashes against Samoa.
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Both → switch → Samoa
As it transpired, with Patrick Carrigan coming off the bench and running 163 metres, Australia won the battle up front.
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Australia → transpire → battle
“We won the middle metres,” says Walters.
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Walters → win → metres
The IRLB has not yet resolved whether to categorise Tonga and Samoa as Tier 1 countries, which would require players to commit to them permanently.
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which → resolve → them
A 12-month grace period is being considered, allowing players to finally declare their permanent allegiance.
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players → consider → allegiance
It also allows the board time to consider whether there are any unintended consequences of the changed eligibility rules.
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It → allow → rules
Toia was born in Auckland but moved with his large family to Brisbane at age six.
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Toia → bear → age
Toia agonised over his decision to play for Tonga before informing Walters.
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Toia → agonise → Walters
He may now be required to choose again.
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He → require → ?
The IRLB must question whether they are exerting too much stress on young players who are already besieged by pressure from their extended families.
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who → question → families
Some may choose not to play at all.
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Some → choose → ?
The Aporia
