Wayne Bennett fears Origin “will be finished” after eligibility drama

Eligibility rules have come into question this week, after it was revealed Australia and Origin superstars Payne Haas and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui were considering switching their international allegiance from Australia to Samoa.

With both players currently set as lock-ins to both New South Wales and Queensland, their eligibility to play in Origin wouldn't be affected due to Samoa being a 'tier-two' nation.

Tier-one nations, however, cannot be a part of Origin unless they are Australian, and with Samoa currently on its way to becoming a tier-one nation, supercoach Wayne Bennett has shared his concerns with changing eligibility rules.

“My thoughts are pretty strong on it. If they tamper with what makes a Queenslander and what makes a New South Wales player, then Origin will be finished,” Bennett said.

Bennett touched on the spirit of Origin and what makes it such a spectacle, and fears the essence of it may be stripped if the NRL were to start making changes.

“The great thing about Origin is it's mate against mate, state against state. That's original, and if they tamper with that, then we're going to lose it, and the fans aren't going to buy into it as they are now."

Origin is the pinnacle of Australian rugby league, and the rules set in place have been abided by for decades. However, with more superstar players emerging from other nations.

The rules around the eligibility restrictions are in place to keep Origin authentic, a sentiment that Bennett highlights could get murky if the league were to interfere.