The stars who benefit from Origin shake-up, and those who miss the cut

1 month ago 16

The State of Origin career of four-time Queensland Maroons utility AJ Brimson has been revived, along with a slew of other NRL stars who are poised to reap the rewards of the game’s eligibility shake-up.

Until Monday, players who had already represented England and New Zealand – deemed tier one Test nations – were unable to feature in the Origin showpiece, regardless of where they were born or how long they had spent living in Australia.

When Brimson decided to represent his mother’s English heritage last year, lining up at fullback for two games in the Ashes series, that drew a line through his Maroons days, despite being born and raised on the Gold Coast, where he attended Keebra Park State High School and played his junior rugby league for Runaway Bay.

AJ Brimson has played four games for Queensland.

But the change of heart, which allows players to represent both state and their heritage provided they were born in Queensland or NSW, or called the regions home from before their 13th birthday, has opened the door for the Titans livewire.

“It’s pretty crazy news. It’s not something I expected, it’s something I thought could possibly happen one day, but definitely not this soon,” Brimson said.

“I’m definitely available. I was pretty public even on social media last year that I’ve always loved Queensland, but it was a great opportunity for me to represent my mum’s side of the family.

“It’s something I didn’t regret regardless of this decision with the Origin eligibility rule change.

“I don’t want to say it was easy because I grew up watching Origin, supporting Queensland and crying when we lost. I got to play, which was a dream come true, and then to be able to evolve as a player and look at the opportunity to represent my mum’s side of the family had been a decision in the back of my mind for ages.”

Brimson’s versatility – having played five-eighth, centre and fullback in the NRL – could make him an intriguing option for Maroons coach Billy Slater in the new six-man bench era, although the 27-year-old was unwilling to entertain that prospect so early in the season.

His England teammate, Victor Radley, now becomes eligible for the Blues, as do Kiwis Addin Fonua-Blake and Casey McLean.

Cronulla edge forward Briton Nikora – who has played 15 Tests for New Zealand – also becomes eligible. He went to school at Keebra Park after moving to the Gold Coast when he was nine and playing junior football for Helensvale and Parkwood.

Players will also not be required to choose state over culture moving forward, meaning Dolphins halfback Isaiya Katoa – a Tonga mainstay since the last World Cup – can now play for New Zealand and the Blues.

Kalyn Ponga, who has spoken passionately about his Kiwi heritage, could realign for this year’s World Cup while still featuring for Queensland. Some players still narrowly miss the cut – Jason Taumalolo, Jahrome Hughes and Ronaldo Mulitalo among those who moved to Queensland shortly after their 13th birthday.

Titans forward Kurtis Morris, who grew up in Sydney and has represented the Maori All Stars, said it was “a big part of everyone’s game being able to represent their culture”, as Australia Rugby League Commission chair Peter V’landys declared the changes were necessary.

“Rugby league has changed, the international game has grown, and our rules need to reflect that,” V’landys said.

“If a player is eligible to play State of Origin, it makes no sense to exclude them simply because they’ve represented New Zealand or England at Test level.”

Alongside the eligibility changes, the NRL also confirmed a 2027 Origin fixture would be hosted in New Zealand, with NRL chief Andrew Abdo lauding the move a chance to grow the game, while V’landys identified the potential to capitalise on the nation’s surging rugby league popularity.

Brimson, however, was sceptical.

“It’s a bit weird, I reckon,” he said.

“I don’t know, I don’t mind it getting played over in Adelaide and Melbourne and things like that – I think that’s pretty cool – but I don’t mind the old two in New South Wales, one in Queensland, or two in Queensland.

“New Zealand will be sick, but it’s obviously State of Origin in Australia. It’s cool for the game – I don’t want an article saying I hate New Zealand or something like that,” he added with a laugh.