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World Cup Eligibility - Jennings taking the P


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If the shaky eligibility rules aren't frail enough, we now have Michael Jennnings (Australian 4N player 2014) putting his hand up for Fiji in the WC having previously played for Tonga (2008 WC). This is all dependent on Mal Meninga not picking him for Australia (which is unlikely but maybe not if he wins a GF). So we could have one guy in 3 provisional World Cup squads. I can just about reluctantly stomach the tier thing but players now skipping across multiple countries - meh!

http://www.rlwc2017.com/news/jennings-boosts-batis-world-cup-hopes

 

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4 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

We have to accept that where the game is popular will see a lot of players who are always going to be eligible for multiple countries and while the international game includes such few games for the tier two nations we need a process for allowing them to represent two countries. 

The solution for this is more games between tier 1 and tier 2 nations

However one thing i would say is that a side that could line up 

Naiqama

Vunivalu

Jennings

Waqa

Uate

Hayne

Sutton

T Sims

Koroisau

Evans

Bukuya

kikau

K Sims

 

A Sims,

D Saifiti 

J Saifiti

Moceidreke

Looks like a tier one level squad to be honest, and i think they could definitely push England and NZ

 

So Jennings may have had a look at the 2 squads (Fiji and Tonga) and thought "Hmm I fancy Fiji this year and I qualify through a grandparent in a Fiji dependency". He was selected for Tonga this year in the Pacific test to face Fiji FFS. 

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It is embarrassing, but I am as embarrassed for Jennings as much as for anything else. I expect most Tongans would understand the appeal of playing for Australia (even if they didn't agree with it), but wanting to jump ship a second time for Fiji just makes him look like a mercenary tool with no real commitment to anyone.

I can confirm 30+ less sales for Scotland vs Italy at Workington, after this afternoons test purchase for the Tonga match, £7.50 is extremely reasonable, however a £2.50 'delivery' fee for a walk in purchase is beyond taking the mickey, good luck with that, it's cheaper on the telly.

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1 hour ago, Scubby said:

So Jennings may have had a look at the 2 squads (Fiji and Tonga) and thought "Hmm I fancy Fiji this year and I qualify through a grandparent in a Fiji dependency". He was selected for Tonga this year in the Pacific test to face Fiji FFS. 

Exactly what I was thinking . They look strong , I've always felt Fijian ....honest . Maybe he can play one half for each if they play? 

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3 hours ago, scotchy1 said:

Firstly, let me say i dont see an issue with Jennings being Australian, Fijian and Tongan.

And i also get the complaint about him switching nations. But outside of the WC international RL for the tier 2 nations barely exist, we can't expect players to commit to Tonga or Fiji for their whole career when they don't even know if they will play a proper test match in between them.

Next year NZ tour Europe. bring Tonga and Fiji with them get france and wales/scotland/ireland involved. Hell if we want to be cheap have them all as double/triple headers and we dont even need to book extra stadiums, and bookend the NZ series with England games against Tonga and Fiji. 

In 2019 the lions tour Australasia. Imagine what it would do for the game to see GB play Fiji, in Fiji

I think, Fiji are trying to start their own leagues.  

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The whole debate seems centred on the notion that you can only be from one place and that once you've picked one you can't change.

Not sure I agree in the grand scheme of things.

I don't really care if someone qualifies and has played for more than one country, it doesn't make me want to watch the sport less. 

But that's just me and I know that isn't the view most have. I would also concede it can have a damaging effect on developing nations to have players switch allegiance to stronger nations (and then back again when they don't get picked).

 

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4 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

They have the vodafone cup, i think they are trying to get a team playing NSW cup.

Lets get out there and give them a leg up. Can't imagine there is a player in SL who wouldnt want to go out there

No Cumbrians though.  Visa issues.

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38 minutes ago, Johnoco said:

Er, you are only from one place. If you grow up in England with a parent from, eg Wales, and you grow up feeling Welsh then you're perfectly entitled to represent Wales over England.

But you can't then turn round and represent England, then Scotland.

It makes a mockery of international competition, which is meant to be about nationalities. Clubs are interchangeable, countries shouldn't be.

We don't seem to have advanced much since the 2000 WC.

Depends on your definition of "from" then doesn't it?

Your example above suggests you can be from two places for the purposes of team selection...

All my grandparents are Irish. My mum is English. My dad was born in Australia but only lived there for three years before migrating to England. I was born in Scotland and spent 15 years there before moving to England with the family and have lived here for 23 years. I am sure there are very much more complicated situations than mine, but can I not legitimately select one of four nations? (I don't expect the selectors to come knocking...)

I don't feel English, Irish, Scottish or Australian, particularly.

And definitely not Australian...the day we put 50 on those bastards I'll be drinking til 4 in the morning!

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13 minutes ago, Tonka said:

Depends on your definition of "from" then doesn't it?

Your example above suggests you can be from two places for the purposes of team selection...

All my grandparents are Irish. My mum is English. My dad was born in Australia but only lived there for three years before migrating to England. I was born in Scotland and spent 15 years there before moving to England with the family and have lived here for 23 years. I am sure there are very much more complicated situations than mine, but can I not legitimately select one of four nations? (I don't expect the selectors to come knocking...)

I don't feel English, Irish, Scottish or Australian, particularly.

And definitely not Australian...the day we put 50 on those bastards I'll be drinking til 4 in the morning!

Yes but once you had played for both England and Scotland and were in your late 20s would you suddenly feel like turning out for Ireland for the hell of it (even though Scotland had named you in their squad)? But if England wanted you again you would ditch Ireland?

For Jennings, I am more cheesed off for Tonga than the Australia part.

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Maybe, if Scotland didn't have any funding or fixtures and England didn't want me. I could always ask Australia...

I guess all I'm saying is if you can play for 2, why not 3?

Agree at being more cheesed off for Tonga.

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1 hour ago, Lowdesert said:

No Cumbrians though.  Visa issues.

Erm,South of the county,not West Cumbria !!Surely Fiji's development would be better served by selecting a better balance of Fiji born and Fiji resident players supplemented by some NRL players.

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7 hours ago, Scubby said:

If the shaky eligibility rules aren't frail enough, we now have Michael Jennnings (Australian 4N player 2014) putting his hand up for Fiji in the WC having previously played for Tonga (2008 WC). This is all dependent on Mal Meninga not picking him for Australia (which is unlikely but maybe not if he wins a GF). So we could have one guy in 3 provisional World Cup squads. I can just about reluctantly stomach the tier thing but players now skipping across multiple countries - meh!

http://www.rlwc2017.com/news/jennings-boosts-batis-world-cup-hopes

 

The sooner they bring in the rule that "Once you have played for a country at senior level you wont be allowed to switch countries"

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It is all open to being a total farce , that's the system to artificially strengthen a weak international game . In World Cup years it's just accentuated because everyone comes out of the woodwork wanting to play , and openly they'll say well if I don't play for them I'll play for them . Said it before , needs pairing down to a parent rule at  worst and stricter rules after you've played for a team in a championship . Many of these guys have no loyalty to a team they hitch on to as a vehicle to get to a WC or put themselves in the shop window for an upgrade 

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1 hour ago, DavidM said:

It is all open to being a total farce , that's the system to artificially strengthen a weak international game . In World Cup years it's just accentuated because everyone comes out of the woodwork wanting to play , and openly they'll say well if I don't play for them I'll play for them . Said it before , needs pairing down to a parent rule at  worst and stricter rules after you've played for a team in a championship . Many of these guys have no loyalty to a team they hitch on to as a vehicle to get to a WC or put themselves in the shop window for an upgrade 

I don't think we need to go any further than your first few words.  We can dress illegibility up but in the end qualification in 2017 is a total farce.

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2 hours ago, Tonka said:

Depends on your definition of "from" then doesn't it?

Your example above suggests you can be from two places for the purposes of team selection...

All my grandparents are Irish. My mum is English. My dad was born in Australia but only lived there for three years before migrating to England. I was born in Scotland and spent 15 years there before moving to England with the family and have lived here for 23 years. I am sure there are very much more complicated situations than mine, but can I not legitimately select one of four nations? (I don't expect the selectors to come knocking...)

I don't feel English, Irish, Scottish or Australian, particularly.

And definitely not Australian...the day we put 50 on those bastards I'll be drinking til 4 in the morning!

your a jock

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The spectacle of the world cup is the paramount importance to the administrators of the sport. Without the type of nation jumping the world cup would be a difficult entity to sell with teams so far from the top 3. At least this way its more competitive and gives a better spectacle is surely what the decision makers see.

Not saying I like it but I understand it...

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