Combined Eastern Europe and Turkey team for future internationals?

[Harry Stottle]

12 hours ago, Manfred Mann said:

It would be good for the development of the international game if, in the time between now and when France and PNG have become competitive international teams, we could devise some new international team formations.

I would propose a team comprised of people of Eastern European and Turkish heritage to play against Australia, New Zealand and England. Some of these players (e.g. both Albanians) were actually born in the countries mentioned. 

As you know Albania is a predominantly Muslim country in the southern Balkans, which makes it a natural fit with Turkey.

There are currently amateur rugby league teams playing in Serbia, Albania and Turkey.

I have been able to construct most of  a quality team based upon people currently playing in the NRL and also in the Super League or Championship.

Unfortunately it is missing a five eighth, two hookers (one as interchange), and one interchange prop.

Should Tom Trbojevic choose to play for Australia (and that is far from certain given the array of top class full backs likely to be picked ahead of him) then Dallin Watene-Zelesniak is a natural replacement at full back. Tom's brother Jake, a more likely selection in an Australian team, would need to be replaced.

If anybody knows of such players of at least Championship quality who could qualify on the basis of heritage if not birth, please let me know and I will add them.

 

Tom Trbojevic (Serbia)

Nikola Cotric (Serbia), Tom Opacic (Serbia), Paul Momirovski (Poland/Macedonia), Sandor Earl (Hungary)

 

...?

Aiden Sezer (Turkey)

 

Jake Trbojevic (Serbia)

Jack Gusiewski (Poland) Emre Guler (Turkey)

Mikolaj Oledski (Poland)          ... ?               Olsi Krasniqi (Albania)

 

Interchange: Erjon Dollapi (Albania), Ben Trbojevic (Serbia)

 

Reserves: Dallin Watene-Zelesniak (Poland), Malakai Watene-Zelesniak (Poland)

For god's sake Manfred how far do you want to go with international qualification, the WC is a contrived competition to begin with having close to 65% of all the players on view born and raised Australian nationals.

[Manfred Mann]

5 hours ago, langpark said:

So has Sandor Earl.

Then the Polish heritage star Dallin Watene-Zelesniak can slot in as Sandor's replacement on the wing.

[latchford albion]

3 minutes ago, Manfred Mann said:

Then the Polish heritage star Dallin Watene-Zelesniak can slot in as Sandor's replacement on the wing.

Has the former New Zealand captain Dallin Watene-Zelezniak ever expressed any desire at all to play for Poland?

[Manfred Mann]

4 hours ago, JM2010 said:

A slightly different idea would be to maybe have a few regionalised Euro tournaments such as a Balkans cup, Mediterranean cup, Scandanavian cup, Eastern Euro Cup, something involving Holand, Belgium and Germany

Unfortunately the Netherlands captain Ryan Papenhuyzen will likely be coming off the bench for Australia.

Germany doesn't have much to offer than Jimmy Keinhorst, who is a good one, and maybe Kyle Feldt. 

Norway has Charnze Nikoll-Klokstadt, and maybe Kyle Feldt..

[Manfred Mann]

2 minutes ago, latchford albion said:

Has the former New Zealand captain Dallin Watene-Zelezniak ever expressed any desire at all to play for Poland?

Many people have dual ethnic identities. Kamala Harris, whom I suspect you have heard of, speaks proudly of being both of black and Indian heritage.

Dallin has spoken with pride of his Polish heritage, so I imagine that he would be proud to represent Poland, especially if he had quality players like Leeds' Mikolaj Oledski and Manly's Jack Gusiewski in the pack in front of him.

[TheReaper]

Idk, Team Yugoslavia has a nice ring to it...

[Rupert Prince]

4 hours ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Now would you put it up there with the time when a man called Alois Hitler said to his wife Klara, "Love, we seem to be out of Johnny condoms", and she replied, "doesn't matter, get on with it anyway..."??

Or, "Stick to painting, Adolf."

[Tommygilf]

2 minutes ago, TheReaper said:

Idk, Team Yugoslavia has a nice ring to it...

To everyone bar the people who would be directly involved!

[latchford albion]

7 minutes ago, Manfred Mann said:

Unfortunately the Netherlands captain Ryan Papenhuyzen will likely be coming off the bench for Australia.

Germany doesn't have much to offer than Jimmy Keinhorst, who is a good one, and maybe Kyle Feldt. 

Norway has Charnze Nikoll-Klokstadt, and maybe Kyle Feldt..

Germany could have Rudolf's young lad Coen.

[TheReaper]

3 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

To everyone bar the people who would be directly involved!

Precisely 

[JM2010]

16 minutes ago, Manfred Mann said:

Unfortunately the Netherlands captain Ryan Papenhuyzen will likely be coming off the bench for Australia.

Germany doesn't have much to offer than Jimmy Keinhorst, who is a good one, and maybe Kyle Feldt. 

Norway has Charnze Nikoll-Klokstadt, and maybe Kyle Feldt..

If it's a regional competition between Holland, Germany and Belgium they could play mainly domestic players anyway as they would hopefully be of a similar standard 

[Rupert Prince]

14 hours ago, Manfred Mann said:

It would be good for the development of the international game if, in the time between now and when France and PNG have become competitive international teams, we could devise some new international team formations.

I would propose a team comprised of people of Eastern European and Turkish heritage to play against Australia, New Zealand and England. Some of these players (e.g. both Albanians) were actually born in the countries mentioned. 

As you know Albania is a predominantly Muslim country in the southern Balkans, which makes it a natural fit with Turkey.

There are currently amateur rugby league teams playing in Serbia, Albania and Turkey.

I have been able to construct most of  a quality team based upon people currently playing in the NRL and also in the Super League or Championship.

Unfortunately it is missing a five eighth, two hookers (one as interchange), and one interchange prop.

Should Tom Trbojevic choose to play for Australia (and that is far from certain given the array of top class full backs likely to be picked ahead of him) then Dallin Watene-Zelesniak is a natural replacement at full back. Tom's brother Jake, a more likely selection in an Australian team, would need to be replaced.

If anybody knows of such players of at least Championship quality who could qualify on the basis of heritage if not birth, please let me know and I will add them.

 

Tom Trbojevic (Serbia)

Nikola Cotric (Serbia), Tom Opacic (Serbia), Paul Momirovski (Poland/Macedonia), Sandor Earl (Hungary)

 

...?

Aiden Sezer (Turkey)

 

Jake Trbojevic (Serbia)

Jack Gusiewski (Poland) Emre Guler (Turkey)

Mikolaj Oledski (Poland)          ... ?               Olsi Krasniqi (Albania)

 

Interchange: Erjon Dollapi (Albania), Ben Trbojevic (Serbia)

 

Reserves: Dallin Watene-Zelesniak (Poland), Malakai Watene-Zelesniak (Poland)

Eastern Europe? Hmmm....  How welcome would our coloured players be?   There are some outrageous things that happen in some parts when our football team play there.

[Gooleboy]

5 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

For god's sake Manfred how far do you want to go with international qualification, the WC is a contrived competition to begin with having close to 65% of all the players on view born and raised Australian nationals.

Iran v Iraq, Israel v Palestine, the mind boggles!

[damp squib]

This thread answers the question - what if Sykes and Picot were Rugby League administrators?

[damp squib]

On 08/04/2021 at 14:01, Rupert Prince said:

Eastern Europe? Hmmm....  How welcome would our coloured players be?   There are some outrageous things that happen in some parts when our football team play there.

This is an excellent parody, well done.

[latchford albion]

28 minutes ago, damp squib said:

This thread answers the question - what if Sykes and Picot were Rugby League administrators?

I think we should draw a line in the sand under this one now.