Kangaroo cull: Why new Origin international eligibility rules spell trouble for Australia |
Thanks Australia, it was fun while it lasted.
Let’s not kid ourselves – the Kangaroos will be the biggest losers as a result of the changes to the State of Origin international eligibility rules.
The NRL on Monday announced players eligible to play for NSW or Queensland were now free to choose what nation they wanted to represent on the world stage.
Previously, Origin players could not represent tier-one nations New Zealand or England – the two sides that have historically posed the biggest threat to Australia. However, there was nothing stopping them playing for tier-two nations like Tonga or Samoa.
But all bets are off now – and that’s bad news for the Kangaroos.
The thing that gives origin its edge is the genuine hatred between NSW and Queensland. Who can forget Maroons favourite Cameron Munster refusing to set foot inside the NSW Blues’ training facility when the Storm used the facilities before an NRL clash with South Sydney a few years ago?
Isaah Yeo led the Kangaroos at last year’s Pacific Championships.Credit: Getty Images
“I’m not going in there,” a smiling Munster told the Herald at the time. “I’d rather stink a bit longer and walk back to the hotel to shower. I’m not welcome in there, and I don’t want to be welcomed in there.”
Those same NSW and Queensland players would – more often than not – park their........