Islanders to follow money trail

[TOCC]

I think it would be unfair for some islanders if they were brought to Australia as babies and played there whole career in Australia to be told they have to go back and play for the country they were born in.

But in saying that as well, i dont like what England and NZ do where the Club teams pay the islanders to come play in the country and then after a few years they become elegible to play for England or the All Blacks.

That should not be allowed, i know the money is worth more if your representing the national side in the bigger countries, but its just not fair to the PI nations to see some of there best talent playing for countries which arent exactly short on talent.

[shasta]

I think it would be unfair for some islanders if they were brought to Australia as babies and played there whole career in Australia to be told they have to go back and play for the country they were born in.

but its just not fair to the PI nations to see some of there best talent playing for countries which are exactly short on talent.

Don't think anyone is suggesting players should be told who they should play for at any stage. My thinking is that players who have been in the AB's, Wallabies or whoever should be allowed exemption to play for their home nation immediately they are no longer contracted to a "first tier" country if they choose to.

[TOCC]

Don't think anyone is suggesting players should be told who they should play for at any stage. My thinking is that players who have been in the AB's, Wallabies or whoever should be allowed exemption to play for their home nation immediately they are no longer contracted to a "first tier" country if they choose to.

i wasnt suggesting it either, i was just pointing out how hard it is to actually determine who should represent who, if you make the rules most strict you would see some of the weaker nations like Samoa and Fiji, at the same time you could also be denying a player potential earnings and the chance to play for the country he wants to.

I dont believe that if a player is no longer contracted to there 'first tier' nation that they should be immediately allowed to play for there home nation.

Ive always thought a system somewhere along the lines of where, a player who has being capped for a Tier1 nation and hasnt represented the national side for more then 18months should be allowed to then play for a Tier2 nation.
The player is only allowed to drop from a Tier1 nation to a Tier2 nation though, it cant go the other way.

So in this case, we could have seen Radlike Samo representing Fiji at the RWC, Toutai Kefu playing for Japan and various other cases.

I dont like the 'immediate' rule, because one strong example is Japan, they could practically buy there national team for the RWC. They could go around and offer large sums of money for any player they wanted and straight away they would be elegible to play for them.

[shasta]

I dont like the 'immediate' rule, because one strong example is Japan, they could practically buy there national team for the RWC. They could go around and offer large sums of money for any player they wanted and straight away they would be elegible to play for them.

I agree. What I suggested was that they are immediately available for their "home nation". I'd see that as the one they were born in. Toutai Kefu would be available for Tonga but not Japan, Radiki Samo for Fiji.