Semi Radradra threatens to quit

[Robb]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/parramatta-eels-star-semi-radradra-threatening-to-leave-nrl-and-join-overseas-rugby/news-story/48dd68c72c3e223b6a78408c6d65947f

This is why internationals should be the main focus going forward and should be the pinnacle of our game. Radradra is threatening to leave the game because Origin eligibility rules won't be changed which would allow him to represent NSW. It's obvious that many players and fans continue to view Origin as the pinnacle of our game, and a good case can be made for why it is the showpiece event of rugby league. This will continue to happen as long as Australia puts Origin ahead of internationals. However on the flip side, nobody is bigger than the game and Radradra should be shown the door.

[Farmduck]

Australia is a free country and Radradra is entitled to make major life decisions as he sees fit. Mind you, I didn't see any direct quotes from Semi in that piece.

[Guest]

I can't see why Radradra would have such a big issue. He isn't Australian and he doesn't meet any of the Origin criteria. Why should he be allowed to play Origin and ultimately for Australia when he isn't entitled to while keeping an Australian born player out of the team? The quote from Tallis is completely true, if the rules for Origin keep getting bent for players like Radradra then the international game will die.

[Davo5]

He dosen't meet any of the selection criteria for Origin,I've no problem with him playing internationally for Australia,if that isn't enough let him disappear into the oblivion that is French RU

[Robb]

Australia is a free country and Radradra is entitled to make major life decisions as he sees fit. Mind you, I didn't see any direct quotes from Semi in that piece.

I agree he is allowed to make his own decisions but when it involves holding the game ransom for his own personal agenda then he should be shown the door. Rules are rules and like I said, nobody is bigger than the game. But yes it may just be a piece of sensationalist journalism from Fox Sports yet again.

[MrPosh]

Australia is a free country and Radradra is entitled to make major life decisions as he sees fit. Mind you, I didn't see any direct quotes from Semi in that piece.

 

Yup. Complete non-story.

 

Would like to see Fiji play more, though. Perhaps they could cut Origin to one game per year and play internationals instead?

[Robb]

He dosen't meet any of the selection criteria for Origin,I've no problem with him playing internationally for Australia,if that isn't enough let him disappear into the oblivion that is French RU

He is Fijian and has represented Fiji. I don't think he should play for Australia. Playing for the smaller island nations seems to be a trial to represent Australia or New Zealand. Unfortunately this is to the detriment of international rugby league

[Farmduck]

He's technically not eligible for AUS until after the next WC because he has already played for Fiji since the last WC. He could apply for special treatment but it would be up to the RLIF, not NSW or the ARL or the NRL.

[MrFussy]

I seem to remember the NRL commentators discussing this a while back and bemoaning that he could choose to leave the game because of it. I believe that was before he signed his new four year contract with the Eels. He surely would have known the score then and he still made the good choice of staying in the game. So unless he signed in the belief that the eligibility rules might be changed...

 

Would be a real pity to lose him, I think he's definitely the best strike player in the game at present. No player is bigger than the sport though, and plenty of big names have left before and not been missed that much. Hopefully he'll stay anyway.

[Hvy wg]

You should play for the country you're born in or for a country you lived in and got "nationality" at your 18th anniversary and switching nations should not be allowed. 

Let's have a look at Akuila Uate representative career :
2006-2011 : Fiji

2010-2012 : Prime Minister's XIII
2011-2012 : NSW
2011-2012 : Australia
2013 : Fiji

2015 : Country NSW


 

[MrFussy]

You should play for the country you're born in or for a country you lived in and got "nationality" at your 18th anniversary and switching nations should not be allowed. 

Let's have a look at Akuila Uate representative career :

2006-2011 : Fiji

2010-2012 : Prime Minister's XIII

2011-2012 : NSW

2011-2012 : Australia

2013 : Fiji

2015 : Country NSW

 

 

It's not hard to see why Radrada would be annoyed is it?

[CGD]

I can't see why Radradra would have such a big issue.

It's the $50k per game carrot. That and Parra got him to sign for peanuts, which probably sounded good to him at the time. Now he realises his worth is at least twice as much.

[MrFussy]

It's the $50k per game carrot. That and Parra got him to sign for peanuts, which probably sounded good to him at the time. Now he realises his worth is at least twice as much.

Huh? He'd already established himself as one of the world's best wingers and was in demand when he signed his four year deal with them in 2014. I've just read that he rejected several offers from other clubs, some in RU, to stay with them. How can he be on peanuts?

[Scubby]

This is agent talk.

 

Basically, he wants NSW, Aus, Fiji (when it suits e.g. when Aus don't pick him)... roll on rotation. The game has done this not Semi and his agent. They are thinking about earning potential and nothing more.

 

Replace Semi with Uate, Segeyaro or whoever.

[Farmduck]

Huh? He'd already established himself as one of the world's best wingers and was in demand when he signed his four year deal with them in 2014. I've just read that he rejected several offers from other clubs, some in RU, to stay with them. How can he be on peanuts?

Because he's a winger. Wingers are a dime a dozen.

 

The smarter way to bump up his pay would be for the NRL to pay him to do coaching clinincs and promotional work in Fiji.

[MrFussy]

Because he's a winger. Wingers are a dime a dozen.

 

The smarter way to bump up his pay would be for the NRL to pay him to do coaching clinincs and promotional work in Fiji.

So he is on a low wage then? He must be amongst the top earning wingers at least, even if they generally do earn less?

[Scubby]

I don't believe he has any desire to play for Australia over Fiji. I think he has been advised (possibly by an agent) that if he made the Australian side then NSW/ARLC would stretch the rules and pick him for Origin.

 

After all, they did it for Uate pre rule change. Origin needs to change it is insulting international RL of which the Aussie aren't even number 1. Most of the best players in the world don't play Origin anymore. Twenty years ago it was 90% of the world's best.

[Farmduck]

This is agent talk.

 

Basically, he wants NSW, Aus, Fiji (when it suits e.g. when Aus don't pick him)... roll on rotation. The game has done this not Semi and his agent. They are thinking about earning potential and nothing more.

 

Replace Semi with Uate, Segeyaro or whoever.

No Uate was eligible under the rules at the time. Segeyaro lived in Qld from the age of 7 so he is eligible under the current rules.

 

Semi's situation lies with the RLIF:

 

3.5 During an Election Period, a player may change from one country to another for which he is eligible pursuant to Rule 3.1, with the approval of the Federation (but he may only change once in each Election Period).

 

http://www.rlif.com/about-rlif/laws_regulations

[deluded pom?]

No Uate was eligible under the rules at the time. Segeyaro lived in Qld from the age of 7 so he is eligible under the current rules.

 

Semi's situation lies with the RLIF:

 

3.5 During an Election Period, a player may change from one country to another for which he is eligible pursuant to Rule 3.1, with the approval of the Federation (but he may only change once in each Election Period).

 

http://www.rlif.com/about-rlif/laws_regulations

So Radradra can opt to play for Australia despite the fact that he played for Fiji already in this WC cycle.

[Scubby]

So Radradra can opt to play for Australia despite the fact that he played for Fiji already in this WC cycle.

 

He played in the 2014 4N qualifier IIRC.

[Farmduck]

So Radradra can opt to play for Australia despite the fact that he played for Fiji already in this WC cycle.

Only with the approval of the Federation (RLIF)

[CGD]

So he is on a low wage then? He must be amongst the top earning wingers at least, even if they generally do earn less?

 

He signed for $1m over 4 years, so $250k per year. Probably a very exciting figure for him at the time. It's only about what an average NRL player earns in 2016. Pretty sure Uate is contracted for at least double that figure, and that was signed before Semi's contract started. Sure, Uate is clearly overpaid. That doesn't mean Semi isn't underpaid.

[MrFussy]

He signed for $1m over 4 years, so $250k per year. Probably a very exciting figure for him at the time. It's only about what an average NRL player earns in 2016. Pretty sure Uate is contracted for at least double that figure, and that was signed before Semi's contract started. Sure, Uate is clearly overpaid. That doesn't mean Semi isn't underpaid.

That's the figure I read but didn't know how it compared to what players (specifically wingers) in the NRL generally earn. He's an influential player and I hoped his wage would reflect that.

 

If it was a choice between him or Uate it would be no contest at the moment, so this has come as rather disappointing news to me.  

[Scubby]

The ARLC and the NRL need to be very careful about how they pitch Origin against international competition in future. For many like Semi it is money in his pocket and a box ticked.

 

But there are many other boxes unticked RUWC, Olympics etc. What do these things have in common? They are high profile international events with a big worldwide audience.

 

The insular nature of Origin needs to change. It should complementing not obstructing International RL. Semi chose Australia because he thought it was a backdoor route to Origin - simple as. The guy is Fiji through and through. He even donated his MoM money to a charity in Fiji.

 

There guys are just coming to Australia for a place of work - the NRL needs to realise that. You don't see England football team trying to hound Aguero, Hazard, Costa and Ozil to quit their national teams because they live in England.

[deluded pom?]

He played in the 2014 4N qualifier IIRC.

The way it reads to me is that playing for Fiji once or ten times during a WC cycle doesn't matter. A player is allowed one switch during a WC cycle as long as he puts it in writing and it's approved by the RLIF. Or am I reading it wrongly? I can't believe his agent is so thick he negotiates a poor contract for Semi and then doesn't even know his player has to formally apply to switch nations. Who needs enemies with friends like that?