Meninga opens up on Haas decision, international eligibility rules

Australian Kangaroos head coach Mal Meninga has revealed his frustration at the potential of Payne Haas shifting to play for Samoa this year.

Under current international eligibility rules, players are allowed to switch between a Tier 1 nation (Australia, England and New Zealand) and a Tier 2 nation (all other nations) each year.

While players can't play for two nations in the same calendar years, it has seen plenty of players turn their backs on their Tier 1 nation to represent other nations, mainly those in the Pacific.

Haas is the latest weighing up his decision, with the Brisbane Broncos star set to make a call on whether to travel to England with Australia for the Ashes, or play in the Pacific Championships with Samoa, at the end of the State of Origin series.

Meninga, speaking on Fox Sports, said the situation was a frustrating one.

"It has been a frustrating week with players, but from my perspective ... If a player chooses that he wants to go with his ancestral heritage, I'm not going to stand up and say ‘he can't do it," Meninga said.

"From my perspective, I'm the Kangaroos coach, and I'm a proud Australian. I'd carry the Australian flag. Payne obviously has both Samoan and Australian heritage."

The coach said if Haas, who was reportedly set to make the same call last year prior to being injured, does elect to represent Samoa, then teammate Patrick Carrigan may be forced to shift into the front row.

"It's just the way it is at the moment, it's the way the game presents itself. If Payne makes that choice, we move on, and we might put Pat Carrigan back in the front row," Meninga added.

Meninga also suggested that current eligibility rules regarding players taking part in State of Origin while not representing Australia also need to be examined.

"I learnt off the great Arthur Beetson about how proud he was to be a Queenslander, and that didn't stop him from wanting to play for Australia," Meninga said.

"That's how Origin started, it started that mate versus mate, state versus state.

"In my era, I'm a bit of a dinosaur now, Origin should be looked at in terms of playing for your country afterwards.

"But society has changed, the climate has changed... we've got some rules at the moment allow (players to move between teams).

"I just feel we need to look at how we control that movement between Origin footy and the tiers in particular."

Australia's tour to England will see Tests played at Wembley Stadium, Old Trafford and Headingley, while a warm-up match against France has also been slated but not yet confirmed.