GORDEN Tallis was in the Triple M box on Sunday not only calling a spade a shovel but showing where he would like to bury it.
The conversation could be nothing else but Origin and Tallis, suitably provoked, flared his eyes.
Moments earlier he was joking, raising once again poor old NSW and how Jamie Lyon does not even want to play for the Blues, which says nothing about Origin but the low-fuss country attitude Lyon prefers, and then he started on about how Blues officials did not even want Greg Inglis.
LIVE BLOG WITH NRL 360’S PAUL KENT BELOW FROM 1.30PM AEDT
That last whisper has floated around rugby league for many years now and considerable pain comes attached.
The story goes Inglis was already tipped to be one of the greats and Queensland was in a mild state of panic after losing its third consecutive series.
- Dugan hits back at Twitter outrage
- Coote considers a new position
- Don’t give up on Roberts: Pearl plea
- NRL Lowdown: Who’s firing and who’s failing?
- Semi’s Origin eligibility must be fixed
Nobody knows why Origin works but everyone knows it is strongest when Queensland is winning. With Queensland no longer competitive the series is dead.
Already the talk was starting that Queensland was disadvantaged (three NRL teams against 11 south of the border) and the series might need to be revamped to balance the inequity.
So what the hell, the Maroons thought, we might as well try one on and pick Inglis and see what the Blues do.
Differing views exist here. Some say, officially, NSW was of the understanding that Inglis’s first game once he turned 16 was for Brisbane Norths, as he declared on his form, qualifying him for Queensland. That was the criteria.
A month after Inglis played his first Origin game in 2006 Andrew Voss found vision of Inglis, aged 16, playing for Newcastle’s Hunter Sports High and showed it on Channel 9. This was several months before he moved to Queensland.
ARL chief executive Geoff Carr said at the time: “If someone wants to go through hours of footage and find him playing for a school in NSW, there’s not much we can do about it now.
“Greg thought he was a Queenslander, his junior coach thought he was a Queenslander and that’s who he now plays for.”
Some say every junior rep coach in NSW knew Inglis qualified for the Blues but NSW officials privately acknowledged Queensland needed him more. Nobody ever dreamt they would win the next eight straight.
Regardless, the one great truth is Inglis simply wanted to play for Queensland more and there he went.
Inglis made it worse by going on to terrify NSW so often since it has become a sore point south of Macksville.
Soon after Origin eligibility was revisited and a new criteria was formed.
It is the same criteria that eliminates Semi Radradra from playing for NSW even though he is qualified to play for Australia under international eligibility laws.
Already the talk is heating up because Origin is only 71 sleeps away and the Blues need Radradra and his try a game strikerate qualified well before then.
Once again, though, we are in danger of losing our way through emotion rather than considered thought that will hold steady in the long run. We do it a lot in this game.
The question we need to answer is what is Origin?
Traditionally, it was always an interstate game before growing into an entirely different monster. But it never stopped being an interstate game, either.
As the interstate game it used to be as an Australian selection trial, one necessary for international selection. That isn’t true anymore.
David Klemmer, Sione Mata’utia and Alex Johnston all recently played for Australia before they played Origin. Johnston and Mata’utia are still to play Origin.
Seven players (Nathan Blacklock, Darren Britt, Chris Lawrence, Joel Clinton, Brad Godden, Reni Matua, Aaron Raper) never played Origin at all after playing for Australia.
When the selection panel sat down to work out their Origin criteria they had two agendas. To clarify the rules beyond argument and preserve the integrity of Origin. That second is often overlooked.
It’s whatever it is that beats inside that Queensland jumper. Let’s not forget, while Origin is the greatest draw in rugby league, it is still an interstate game.
Off air Sunday Tallis started talking about being in Queensland camp and the conversations they had about why they hate NSW.
“You actually talk about why you hate NSW?” Ryan Girdler asked.
“Well, why we love Queensland, but yeah,” Tallis said.
“Oh, we have those,” Gidler said, “but not why we hate Queensland.”
If an Englishman or a Kiwi or even a Fijian can’t answer that question, with a tickle in their heart, they should never play Origin.
Replies
What if you're born in Vic or WA but move to NSW when you're 8 and start playing footy?
IMO the easiest way is where did you play your first game in NSW OR QLD that's who you play for.
As good as it would be for us Semi shouldn't play for NSW.
Semi played his first game of senior rugby leaguel in NSW. Why cant he play?
How do we know he doesnt hate QLDers, does every NSW player hate QLD? Is there even a test or is it just what people think. Semi probably doesnt hate the Bulldogs but he didnt let that stop him from tearing them a new one.
Semi is a competitor, he has given his allegience to Australia when it comes to Rugby League and wants to give it to NSW. Why do some who have never played SOO believe he's going to water down SOO. Players like Pearce do far more damage.
Tallis hates NSW because thats his personality, but that doesnt mean all QLD players have hated NSW they just want to beat the other team and that happens to be NSW.
Lastly, he was good enough for the All Stars team, did he have to hate Aboriginals to make the team.
Dumb excuses
Paul Kent and Gordon Tallis having a chat. There wouldn't be a brain cell between the two of them.
Absolute dribble and two minutes of my life I will never get back.
I see to see Semi play origin and earn the extra cash and stay at Parra. Semi will play for Australia 1 day soon.
So just about every other sport has it wrong? People born in other countries can (after a designated time) play for their adopted country.
Why is that any different to playing for you adopted state?
So you can be born in Fiji and still qualify to play for Australia but you cant qualify to play for a state? Doesnt that mean you are putting State above country?
I dont want him to play because I want him to play for Parra. But how can I justify stopping him from playing at a higher level just because of something out of his control.
Hey Semi, come and play for us, work hard, excel in your position, earn Parra and NRL additional money, you can even play for the Country, but you cant play for the state because we dont think you have the heart for it.
But we do think you have the heart for Parra and Australia.
Hmmmm
What about Tennis, Olympics, Soccer any sport really.
If you live in that country and want to represent that country you can.
The difference with League is we pretend that State is more important and needs to be protected, which I believe is wrong.
Cam Smith, Slater and Cronk have probably spent more of their senior footy career in Victoria. Tamou was 13 before he came to Aust. Uate was 15yrs old.
Benji was 16 but wanted to play for NZ so couldnt play SOO, even though he probably thought exactly the same about NSW as most QLDers.
I disagree about the All Stars reasoning. First, where do you live? 2. Which country do you want to represent? 3. If its Aust, which state did you play your first game for?
All Stars are decided a very different way.
and also all down through history where two sides have gone to war, do you really think they care who fights on their side? If you think that only people born in Qld can be passionate against NSW maybe you should talk to a Victorian.
The whole idea is to have the best game we can, Aussie vs Aussie but if that Aussie was born elsewhere who care, they are now Aussie and thats all that matters, doesnt it.
PS Ask Tele, I can do this all day LOL
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next