Phil Gould has backed the decision from Kalyn Ponga to switch his allegiance and represent New Zealand in this year’s Rugby League World Cup.
Reports emerged this week confirming Ponga had written to the governing body about his desire to represent the Kiwis – a request which has since been approved.
It comes after a recent rule change that allows players who qualify for State of Origin to also represent tier-one nations other than Australia.
The superstar fullback has already represented Queensland on 10 occasions but until the eligibility rules were changed this year, he was out of contention for the Kiwis unless he wanted to give up his Origin ambitions.
Ponga has never played for the Kangaroos at Test level, however did feature in the green and gold jersey during a Nines tournament in 2019.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles With Gus, the former NSW coach heaped praise on Ponga for the decision and said it would benefit the sport long-term.
“That’s great, it helps our international football,” Gould said.
“The change in that rule and qualification is not so much about today’s players; it’s about the young players and their futures and what international football looks like over the next decade, which I think is the growth of the game.
“Right at the moment, there might be a few players able to take advantage of that to play Origin and play international football.
“I think it’s good for the game with a World Cup coming up, and with Kalyn Ponga, New Zealand are going to be very hard to beat.
“I still see Australia as favourites, but gee whiz, New Zealand will be extremely hard to beat and even more so if Kalyn is going to play.
“Our game has evolved and I don’t think young players should have to make that distinction. It’s better for the game if our best players are able to play for their country.”
Gould had been an advocate for ‘open-slather’ Origin rules dating back to last April and the decision from the NRL could open the door for some high-profile names this year.
Sharks forwards Addin Fonua-Blake and Briton Nikora will both become available for the game’s landmark event, having previously been excluded from playing for NSW or Queensland respectively, while Victor Radley is also back in the mix after opting to pledge his allegiance to England and take himself out of Blues contention.
Ponga was born in Western Australia before moving to Queensland at a young age, making him eligible for the Maroons
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