News: Eagles rookie set for Tonga debut

[ManlyBacker]

<div class="content-item" />
<p>ROOKIE Sea Eagles winger William Hopoate will continue his rise in the game when he plays international rugby league at the end of this season.</p>


<a href="http://silvertails.net/news/5066-eagles-rookie-set-for-tonga-debut.html">Read the full article</a>

 

[eagles2win]

Good on him.

So at the end of the year we might have
Hopa Jnr - Tonga
T-Rex - Tonga
Seu Seu - Samoa
Whare - NZ Maori
Tasi - NZ Maori

Also forgot these
Foran - NZ
Matai - NZ
Lyon - AUS

 

[Liueli of Brookvale]

Good on him.. Go Hoppa!

 

[homebrandjesus]

Good stuff, should be a great experience for him

 

[SwornEagle]

Does that mean he'd be ineligible to play for Australia if/when the time comes??

 

[eagles2win]

Does that mean he'd be ineligible to play for Australia if/when the time comes??

While we're in this World Cup cycle it's suppose to be yes. But because of what's happening with the Uate scenario (played for Fiji in the Pacific Cup last year and has been given clearance  to play for Australia so he can play Origin) he might be able to change allegiance mid cycle.

 

[abnc]

[quote author=SwornEagle link=topic=184700.msg285520#msg285520 date=1282053392]
Does that mean he'd be ineligible to play for Australia if/when the time comes??

While we're in this World Cup cycle it's suppose to be yes. But because of what's happening with the Uate scenario (played for Fiji in the Pacific Cup last year and has been given clearance  to play for Australia so he can play Origin) he might be able to change allegiance mid cycle.
[/quote]

I reckon that you should be eligable to play Origin no matter which country you play for. It should go off where you played your first junior footy. Hoppa was born in Australia, and obviously because of his heritage he can play for Tonga, but because he was born here he should still be eligable for Origin (Not that he will play Origin, but just using him as an example).

The only exception to that rule is if you were born overseas and played your first junior footy overseas (NZ for example), then you can't play Origin.

 

[Rusty]

[quote author=Ant80 link=topic=184700.msg285541#msg285541 date=1282075379]
[quote author=SwornEagle link=topic=184700.msg285520#msg285520 date=1282053392]
Does that mean he'd be ineligible to play for Australia if/when the time comes??

While we're in this World Cup cycle it's suppose to be yes. But because of what's happening with the Uate scenario (played for Fiji in the Pacific Cup last year and has been given clearance  to play for Australia so he can play Origin) he might be able to change allegiance mid cycle.
[/quote]

I reckon that you should be eligable to play Origin no matter which country you play for. It should go off where you played your first junior footy. Hoppa was born in Australia, and obviously because of his heritage he can play for Tonga, but because he was born here he should still be eligable for Origin (Not that he will play Origin, but just using him as an example).

The only exception to that rule is if you were born overseas and played your first junior footy overseas (NZ for example), then you can't play Origin.
[/quote]

Agreed.

National eligibility should be based on birth or heritage and SOO eligibility should be based on the state you first played competitive RL in.

 

[eagles2win]

Origin as it stands at the moment is one of my biggest bug bear's in rugby league. Sure it's a great, but as it stands it is killing international rugby league

 

[Rambo1987]

Tonga is an emerging country and normally players can play for emerging countries without effecting their choice for playing for Australia.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Am pretty sure their is still a 2 year stand down before you can play for Australia after playing for 1 of the Island sides, other than if it is a World Cup year

Uate isn't eligible for NSW until next season due to this, was a similar case with Mateo a couple of years back as well
Costigan has tried to get dispensation to play for PNG and Qld and that has been knocked back (which is quite surprising as he wears Maroon)