The Residency / Poaching Thing.

Plus they can always just get citizenship for their island nation then be eleigable

The problem isn't that they aren't eligible to play for the islands at the moment, the problem is they make way way more money by not being eligible for their country, either through "retirement in France" or declaring for someone else (ie Australia/Japan).

Hence the, making processes to make representing your country more enticing..Jesus Christ feel like a parrot

So what are your process to make representing Tonga over Australia (say) more attractive?

I just don't think it's a battle that's going to be won especially when we and the kiwis make eligibility a prerequisite to a paycheck. Which means opening up dual eligibility for Tier 1 and 2 countries, so players can have their financial cake and eat it too.

I don't think it is a prerequisite of a paycheck, ie quite a few from the Islands play super rugby, well they do in NZ ,or have. I not saying it still the case, though I not too sure how many can do it. Isn't MAA still with Crusaders in super rugby etc?

The only way it will make it attractive to play for their own country is maybe pay, so then someone will have to come up with money etc. I wish I could think of a way to make it work, but I still say being able to represent a country because you parents or grandparents are born there doesn't sit well with me.

You're not comfortable with the afore mentioned Mike AA representing Samoa?

Nope not really, he is Aussie af

Well it’s two fold, these island nations definitely need to get more money for representing their nation, wether that comes through world rugby somehow or something else, I don’t really know, It’s not really my job to come up with a solution

And the second part is that players have to make some sacrifices, i cannot believe for the life of me that a player can play for two nations and love them equally (it’s one of the reasons I was never a fan of thorn as a player, I don’t understand how for the life of him he could be doing a haka then 6 months later lining up for the kangaroos) one country must take precedence and that’s the country that you represent end of story, you don’t get to rake in the big money for one of the big nations then turn around when you’re on the out and just so happen to find a “deep desire” to represent the country your grandmother popped out of the womb in

Anything less and we risk having the joke of eligibility rules that rugby league have which are absolutely laughable

I am comfortable up to a point Strewth, it's great for Samoa etc, but in the context of what I been saying I do really believe that being able to play for a country because your parents or grandparents were born there doesn't and you might never have even been there seems a little strange. As I said with rules as they are you can play for up to 8 different countries depending on where ancestors are born or you reside. I don't know what the answer is, just a quiet thought I have.

For the record, I am really uncomfortable telling players who they should not be playing for based on some pretty arbitrary guidelines, especially if they are sacrificing significant amounts of money to represent that country.

I have no problem with players playing for multiple countries, especially if it means smaller nations have some chance.of ever competing against the countries that can afford to pay players professionally, which is a situation which massively distorts the benefits for declaring your allegiance.for a particular country.

Mate I have no problems with you having that belief , and as I said I not sure what the answer is, but playing for England, Scotland or even Samoa etc because my grandparent was born there just doesn't sit right with me, and I quite happy if that's what people think should be the norm, same as changing countries, just a personal thing, I feel it cheapens test status even if done for right reasons. Not sure what the rules are in league, and although I not a follower of the game, I have absolute no interest in the international version of it for the reasons I outlined where players just pick who they want to play for this week!

How colonial.

I'm making a couple of assumptions here but it seems we have some white guys telling pacific islanders how they should and shouldn't feel about being able to represent their countries and heritage

Why you bringing race into it? These rules are for everyone?

If that's aimed at me Bullrush I saying bullshit, I not telling anyone should feel, all I doing is giving my opinion on what I think should be rules. As for it being about the Island boys again I would ask you to point out where I have said I am talking about Island heritage only, I expressly said England,Scotland, Samoa etc so everyone would not make that assumption!!
Mind you, you could be aiming that at someone else of course!

The rules being the same for everyone is very different to the rules meaning the same for everyone.

And of course race comes into it - very easy for white guys who make all the fucken rules to go around saying how everyone should feel about their heritage and how valid those ties are.

Who the fuck are you to tell anyone how Aussie they are or aren't and by the same judgement, how Samoan they are or aren't.

You really should shut your mouth trying to make calls about someone else's identity and heritage.

It’s very clearly about nationality not race

Stop bringing an emotional response to something that needs a practical and logical solution.

But nah you’re right let’s open the flood gates, everyone can represent whoever they want so long as the “feel” it

Awwwww I’m sorry are you offended? You’re the type of person that wants people to identify as pineapples so long as it makes them warm and fuzzy on the inside aren’t you

Mike is Australian, of course he is proud of his Samoan heritage and good on him, his dad is a proud Samoan. But by every definition he is Australian, and in the context of what we are discussing, These sorts of things are going to be brought in to question

So get off ya fucking high horse, don’t get so offended or crawl back into your safe space until the convo is over

Nah - you're talking about something you probably have no fucking idea about. It has nothing to do with a high horse and nothing to do with pineapples and being warm and fuzzy.

As someone who was born and raised in NZ to a Samoan father I have a good idea of how guys like MAA can and do identify and qualify as both and we don't need white bitch-ass guys like you trying to tell us that it's not valid.

You think you can make up the rules on who we are?? Fuck you and your safe space.