totally agree if the aussies can do it why not us ?lets face it we need all the best players to play the aussies,so i say well done manu.

Same as you have allready said Aus do it so why cant we although i dont think he actually will say yes as he is a proud tongan (or so i have heard) although he would be a great addition to the squad.

How would I feel? I'd feel like I maybe need to work a bit harder? Its not like Manu is some no mark rubbish player who offers nothing different. We dont have another player in the squad who plays in the same style as Manu IMO.

I find it strange that everyone always bangs on about how far behind Australia we are yet plenty of their best players aren't even Australian. These same people want us to be able to compete but dont want us to be playing by the same rules and giving ourselves a chance.

totally agree exactly how i see it

Neither am I, but until it's changed we'd be stupid not to follow it.

I didn't agree, for example, with a club being allowed five overseas players on the old quota system. But, if every club other than Hull utilised the quota, and we were a poorer side because of it, would you be happy?

How would you feel if you were a Hull born second rower and you were 'snubbed' in favour of Willie Manu for the FC squad?



Then should the Hull squad contain only players born in Hull?

I'm sure the rule was changed only recently to stop this from happening. And to bring in an overseas player in to an area we are fairly strong in.

I don't get why people have this perception Australia pick players who are born in Tonga etc.

Who are these players that Australia 'steal' from other countries ?

It can't have been, or he wouldn't have been allowed to be called up.



We might be 'fairly strong' in that area, but we're going to need to be 'very strong' in every area possible to beat the Aussies. The only way we'll do this is to pick the very best players at our disposal. I'd rather we beat the Aussies (with all their Kiwis, Samoans and Tongans) than get stuffed again but feel pleased with ourselves for sticking to our principles.

Taken from the Wigan forum:

The rules are what they are. Campaign for a change to the rules by all means if you believe that should happen. Under the current rules Willie is in on merit good luck to him.

Didn't Tony Carroll play for both Aus and NZ in the space of a year or something.

Exactly, if you can't beat em, join em.

Well done Willie

Tonie Carroll springs to mind as a recent example. Hazem El Masri was Lebanese and played for Australia. I'm sure there are others, but they don't immediately spring to mind.

I sure Brough dumped Scotland and then chose Engalnd because of it.

Jarryd hayne played for fiji as did michael jennings

Thought Tansey and Tickle would have being in the squad

Would have been if they were from PNG

I think it was longer than that.

He grew up in Australia though and played all his junior rugby there as did Civoniceva and Mason who are the only other 2 who I can think of that were born outside of Australia who have played for the Kangaroos recently.

I think HF's point is that the players you mention were born or brought up in Australia although their heritage is clearly overseas. Similar to Harrsion Hansen from Wigan his family are from the South Sea Islands but he was born and brought up in Lancashire (his dad played for Widnes iirc) therefore had his rugby league eductaion in the British system.

Didn't Moi Moi go to court to try to play for another country . The Eligibility rule is a joke.

Well done to Manu, fully deserved hope he makes the team

Both of them are born and raised in Australia though so its Fiji and Tonga who are taking players from Australia not the other way around.

Pretty sure before the WC Hayne hadn't even been to Fiji.

But they've played for other countries. The rules are very clear and Australia use them to their best advantage. We should do the same until the rule changes.

That's correct.