This is from the Courier mail - March 15 2012
THE Queensland Rugby League has backed down on threats to ban Parramatta centre Esi Tonga from State of Origin selection for two years.
But the 24-year-old Logan Brothers junior's absence from the final training run of the pre-season Origin Emerging Players camp has lengthened his odds of joining older brother Willie in a Maroon jumper in the immediate future.
A tribunal comprising QRL chairman John McDonald, Maroons coach Mal Meninga and chairman of selectors Des Morris showed lenience on Tonga after he gave his side of the story.
With Parramatta coach Stephen Kearney lending support, Tonga expressed his remorse for the turn of events on January 21 when he failed to return to the motel after dinner at a city pub with other members of the Queensland Academy of Sport Emerging squad.
He also missed training the next morning, leaving Academy coach Wayne Bennett bewildered and angry.
QRL chief executive Rob Moore said yesterday Tonga gave an explanation to the tribunal late last week and "we had no grounds to disbelieve him".
Moore said the QRL had asked Parramatta to monitor his performances, on and off the field, to satisfy Meninga and the selectors he was doing the right thing.
"By all accounts his performances at training have been good, even in the days following the incident up here," Moore said.
"He was very remorseful to the tribunal, and devastated by the possible consequences.
"We informed Parramatta of our decision today, and we will not be going into details about Esi's explanation.
"The State Government-backed QAS programme is unique and provides exceptional pathways for talented players.
"It's disappointing that the Esi incident in some ways overshadowed a highly productive QAS camp.
"As always, players' on-field performances and off-field conduct will be taken into consideration for future Origin selection."
Because he is not a registered player in Queensland, Tonga might have been able to challenge an official ban imposed by the QRL over an incident arising out of a Queensland-based programme.
But there is nothing to stop the selectors putting Tonga's name on the bottom of their list of candidates, and the former Gold Coast Titans player has a lot of work to do to get back in the good books with Bennett and Meninga.
Esi represented Tonga in the 2008 Centenary World Cup, but has yet to play Origin. Willie Tonga has represented Queensland seven times.
Willie will play for Parramatta against North Queensland in Townsville on Saturday, but Esi is unavailable after tearing his hamstring in the closing minutes of Monday night's 36-20 loss to the Warriors in Sydney.
