Louisa Wall: Origin counts for more than anything

With the annual Anzac league clash scheduled to take place at Suncorp Stadium on Friday, the build-up to this series has been dominated by concerns over player eligibility and who should play for whom and in what competition.

In this era of professional sport, people have choice, it seems, not only about which team they will represent but which country they play for.

Youngster Karmichael Hunt has been in the headlines about his preference to play for Queensland in the State of Origin and hence Australia as opposed to representing New Zealand, his country of birth.

Queensland's first State of Origin captain Artie Beetson in the Daily Telegraph said only Australian-born players should have the right to play State of Origin or for the Kangaroos.

He said Hunt arrived in Australia as a 14-year old from New Zealand and therefore he should play for New Zealand, not Australia.

Their cup runneth over with talent and Beetson reckons we need him more than they do.

So, State of Origin should not be about commercial ends but about identity, pride and birthright. Beetson also believes former Kangaroo Brad Thorn should be disregarded by Queensland selectors because he played for the All Blacks.

If the objective of the State of Origin is to select a Kangaroo team, he has a point.

But, in the beginning of the competition, there were no such issues about international eligibility. The eligibility criteria of playing for the "state that players first played senior football for" still seems relevant today.

If the international eligibility laws provide for players to choose, and Hunt has chosen to play for Queensland and therefore Australia, then that is his choice.

Irene van Dyk chose to leave South Africa and play netball for New Zealand and was eligible after one season of playing in New Zealand. Such are the international rules and South Africa weren't too happy - but we certainly are.

Players like Sonny Bill Williams are clear about their allegiances and it helps when your community in New Zealand continues to keep the connection via awards, such as the 2005 Junior Samoan Sportsman of the Year bestowed on Williams by the Samoan Sports and Leisure Association in December 2004.

But these issues are greater than player choice and wanting to play in the State of Origin.

NZ Rugby League chairman Selwyn Pearson believes the State of Origin series aids Australia and he wants Kiwis and other overseas players to be selected and eligible to play on a consistent basis.

And he may have a point about the farce of international league if players such as Hunt make the choices that they do.

When potential Kiwi players choose the Maroon jersey over a Black one, there is a problem in an international sporting system where the apex of achievement is state versus state, not country versus country.

The clash is one of tradition versus philosophy versus commercialism and the re-framing of events such as the State of Origin to broaden and modernise the game.

Also, there is pressure to include the stars of the sport, such as Williams, from a hungry public who demand the best quality supply of players in this intense battle.

Issues about what is best for the game globally will require the Australian governors to think outside the box in terms of access to such forums, and this is where commercialism may just work in favour of opening up the State of Origin competition.

Then Hunt can play State of Origin and represent the Kiwis too.

But, if the Aussie public is not driving the change, it will fail.

And from this side of the ditch, the Aussie punters are pretty happy with the State of Origin as it is, so the debates about the competition's objective, I am sure, will continue to rage off the field for a few more years to come.

* Louisa Wall is a former New Zealand rugby and netball representative.