State verse state. Mate verse mate. Nation verse nation? State Of Origin could be set for huge shake up that would see many superstars that never thought it possible enter the cauldron.
The ARLC have announced that they will review the current Origin eligibility laws heading into next season, which could see the tier system be ignored and the age limit changed.
Following the brilliance of Samoa at the recent rugby league world cup and other Pacific nations over the past few years, the product of Origin has reached a line in the sand moment as to whether they exclude or include the Polynesian stars of the game.
The outcry for Samoa to be elevated from a tier two side to a tier one would put immense pressure on its players to choose between Origin or heritage under the current rules.
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However, it’s reported the ARLC has said changes could mean regardless of the nation’s tier rank, players can play for both their state and country of heritage as long as they meet all of the criteria.
Currently players are required to have lived in either Queensland or New South Wales before the age of 13 to be eligible for State Of Origin.
This has the potential to also be raised during the process of the eligibility review to see people who moved to one of the states at 14 or 15 years of age be included.
This would mean new Rooster Brandon Smith would be able to represent Queensland, moving from New Zealand to Townsville after turning 13. His former teammate at Melbourne Jahrome Hughes also enters the conversation if the age is raised, uprooting to the Gold Coast at 14.
But even without altering the age limitation, both states will obtain a few more options which could either continue to grow Origin’s popularity or hurt it by turning it into an all-star game.
Watch this space!
