Ratu Naulago for GB?

[deluded pom?]

Without getting too political and going OT aren't there instances of people from Commonwealth countries joining the British army but them being refused residency here once they've left the forces?

[jacksy]

1 hour ago, GeordieSaint said:

And this is one of those cases. This bloke isn’t some random Fijian who has come over here to play sport. He’s a man who has pledged allegiance to fight and die for this country if required; served in Cyprus, Afghanistan etc. If he decides he wants to play for England, IMO he’s more than earned his right to do so. 

(But I don’t think he’ll be picked for any rep side).

Hard to argue with that.

[Lowdesert]

2 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

If our national team included say 6 or 7 of those you describe in your first paragraph, firstly would you attend, secondly could you take satisfaction from a victory?

I have done as it’s been happening for some time.  Seems all other sports are the same.  I don’t think RL should be any different as, firstly, the rules are set and secondly, we could be seen as a prejudicial sport.  We don’t want that.

Personally, I think lads and lasses from other countries, who’ve upped sticks to travel round the world to join our Forces warrant special dispensation.  I’ve worked with many, many Nepali’s before and they find it difficult to be allowed to stay here once their time is up in the Forces despite willing to die for Us.

In Nualago’s case though, I don’t think he’s quite good enough for the national team yet. Squad, maybe.

[OMEGA]

For me, everything about an international set up should be indigenous to that nation, this includes the coach, support staff, physio & kit man. If that proves to be not good enough then that’s an accurate measure of where our game is at that time and we’d know we need to improve.

It’s our best against their best no matter who we’re playing. Anything less is a corner cut, a crutch, a work around and a dilution of anything that team achieves. e.g. If we win an Ashes Series with Wayne Bennett as Coach there’s a percentage of that victory attributable to Australia and therefore not a complete victory for the U.K. game.

Some might be happy with that but I’m not!

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

He’s a good winger but behind Makinson, Hall and McGilvary for me. If we take 4 wingers on the tour I would include him as the 4th, we may only take 3 though.

[GeordieSaint]

1 hour ago, deluded pom? said:

Without getting too political and going OT aren't there instances of people from Commonwealth countries joining the British army but them being refused residency here once they've left the forces?

Yes - aware of some cases of soldiers being refused citizenship if they've had disciplinary issues. I am sure there are other cases where discipline hasn't been an issue too. They did mandate any Commonwealth personnel had to have lived in the UK for 5yrs before they could join the forces in 2013/13 but believe they were relaxed last year considerably as the British Army especially is screwed for manpower currently.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

13 hours ago, Rupert Prince said:

Possibly.

But having just watched the WC cricket semi final and I see that the 'England' captain was born in Dublin. And a nice soft brogue he has. But born in Dublin as he was, he plays not simply for 'GB' but for 'England'. He has an English mother.     Meantime we ourselves have this question, this ambivalence, over whether we in RL should have GB or England.  

Should we really worry too much about where people in GB & I come from, when cricket have people from all over the place and still play for 'England'.

For me we pick all best players. If that means Austin and Hastings on the halves then great.... Other sports car about the result and impact of winning internationals only

If win a world cup or test series against Oz then that will be all that matters

[deluded pom?]

8 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

For me we pick all best players. If that means Austin and Hastings on the halves then great.... Other sports car about the result and impact of winning internationals only

If win a world cup or test series against Oz then that will be all that matters

I and others are probably a tad older than people who agree with this ethos. Different era, different opinions. It only used to be Australians accused of being win at all costs. Would you have been happy with Trevor Chappell?

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

12 minutes ago, deluded pom? said:

I and others are probably a tad older than people who agree with this ethos. Different era, different opinions. It only used to be Australians accused of being win at all costs. Would you have been happy with Trevor Chappell?

Wouldn't agree with anything that is out of the spirit of any game be it underarm bowling or eye gouging in the ruck

Picking heritage players though is fine for me. Its the flag they play under that matters. 

Percieved dodgy eligibility in Origin hasn't stopped it being a mega success

[Dunbar]

3 hours ago, OMEGA said:

For me, everything about an international set up should be indigenous to that nation, this includes the coach, support staff, physio & kit man. If that proves to be not good enough then that’s an accurate measure of where our game is at that time and we’d know we need to improve.

It’s our best against their best no matter who we’re playing. Anything less is a corner cut, a crutch, a work around and a dilution of anything that team achieves. e.g. If we win an Ashes Series with Wayne Bennett as Coach there’s a percentage of that victory attributable to Australia and therefore not a complete victory for the U.K. game.

Some might be happy with that but I’m not!

I would agree with this.  I personally believe (and this has been influenced massively by my family circumstances) that a person is capable of representing two countries with genuine patriotism (I don't mean they should actually represent two but they have a choice of one or the other).

If a person has an Australian father and English mother then that person is absolutely within their rights to both dual citizenship and (I believe) the opportunity to represent the country they choose for their own personal reasons and it should not just be the one they were born in.  While I think that cultural identity if valuable, I don't think this should extend to grandparents even though I know international eligibility in sport allows for it in most circumstances.

On the point about Bennett.  I do agree that it should be 'best of ours' vs. 'best of yours'.  I have waited 30 years for GB/England to defeat Australia in a series or a tournament final and if we won under Bennett I would feel like there is an edge taken off it.  Of course I want England to win the 2021 World Cup but if it was under an English coach it would be all the sweeter.

[deluded pom?]

33 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Percieved dodgy eligibility in Origin hasn't stopped it being a mega success

See my previous post about Australian win at all costs attitude.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

11 minutes ago, deluded pom? said:

See my previous post about Australian win at all costs attitude.

I get your point but I suppose its whether you see heritage players as a 'win at all cost' style move against the spirit/ethos is sport. I personally don't

[wackojacko]

I personally see both sides of the debate but I think they're kinda academic - he's not good enough.

[MZH]

1 hour ago, wackojacko said:

I personally see both sides of the debate but I think they're kinda academic - he's not good enough.

Perhaps not right now, but bear in mind he hasn't even played 20 rugby league games yet, let alone at the top level.

With the progress he has made, in  another year he could very well be good enough.

[Rupert Prince]

7 hours ago, deluded pom? said:

I and others are probably a tad older than people who agree with this ethos. Different era, different opinions. It only used to be Australians accused of being win at all costs. Would you have been happy with Trevor Chappell?

Or bits of sand paper...

[DiH68]

I couldn’t care less where someone is ‘born’, ‘bred’ or lives. If they meet the eligibility criteria, and are the best available, then pick them.

I’m also very uncomfortable with some views from some people on here who think they have a right to decide which country a player should choose to play for. Some people have a very strong identity with the country of, say, their parents, even if they’ve never lived there. It’s not for me or any else to decide where their loyalties should lie 

[Newguy]

14 hours ago, deluded pom? said:

I and others are probably a tad older than people who agree with this ethos. Different era, different opinions. It only used to be Australians accused of being win at all costs. Would you have been happy with Trevor Chappell?

It was Greg who made his brother bowl the delivery, and it was poor old Trevor who suffered the fall out. 

[roughyedspud]

Does nobody want GB to be a representation of RL in GB???

I've said before...the RFL have it well within their rights to set whatever eligibility criteria they liked for GB,GB isn't beholden to the same RLIF eligibility laws as regular nations..so to stop all this nonsense and negativity the RFL should have said from the outset that players needed to be born in the British isles to be eligible for GB....plain and simple..

[Ash Hope]

For all those arguing about his eligibility - he has a GB passport - he told us in a press conference, and would like to play for GB and Fiji.

For all those wanting to expand that argument, you let him serve your country in the Army, I'm sure you can take off your anti-heritage player t-shirts and allow this guy to play for GB, if selected.

[Ash Hope]

3 minutes ago, roughyedspud said:

Does nobody want GB to be a representation of RL in GB???

I've said before...the RFL have it well within their rights to set whatever eligibility criteria they liked for GB,GB isn't beholden to the same RLIF eligibility laws as regular nations..so to stop all this nonsense and negativity the RFL should have said from the outset that players needed to be born in the British isles to be eligible for GB....plain and simple..

Sigh. So, on that note, Dan Sarginson would be ineligible. Kruise Leeming, Masi Matongo, Mikolaj Oledzki and stacks of up-and-comers in the Academy set-up would also be ineligible. We live in 2019, pal, not 1956.

[Dunbar]

12 minutes ago, Ash Hope said:

For all those wanting to expand that argument, you let him serve your country in the Army, I'm sure you can take off your anti-heritage player t-shirts and allow this guy to play for GB, if selected.

Naulago isn't a heritage player so that's a strange connection to make.

[Oxford]

On 12/07/2019 at 07:45, ghost crayfish said:

As a strong nation, we have an obligation to not poach. 

To me this is the only argument that has any purchase here. Ayhting else is just whinging.

 

On 12/07/2019 at 07:03, ghost crayfish said:

He's served in the military

And this means there shouldn't even be a question if he wants to play for England.

[deluded pom?]

43 minutes ago, Ash Hope said:

For all those arguing about his eligibility - he has a GB passport - he told us in a press conference, and would like to play for GB and Fiji.

For all those wanting to expand that argument, you let him serve your country in the Army, I'm sure you can take off your anti-heritage player t-shirts and allow this guy to play for GB, if selected.

Then we can send him back to Fiji once he leaves the army. Not my opinion as I’m a firm believer that if they are willing to serve in the British armed forces then they are entitled to stay here.

[Scubby]

1 hour ago, Ash Hope said:

Sigh. So, on that note, Dan Sarginson would be ineligible. Kruise Leeming, Masi Matongo, Mikolaj Oledzki and stacks of up-and-comers in the Academy set-up would also be ineligible. We live in 2019, pal, not 1956.

None of the Burgess boys' kids would be eligible too if they were good enough.

[Oxford]

1 hour ago, Ash Hope said:

We live in 2019, pal, not 1956.

Are you sure of your facts Ash ?

I'm afraid everything's looking black and white or sepia coloured these days and more Hovis advert by the day!