Australia coach weighs in on defection debate as admission made on NRL duo

Kevin Walters says he won’t put pressure on either Tino Fa’asuamaleaui or Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to represent the Kangaroos this autumn, insisting that defections are beneficial for the international game.

Gold Coast Titans forward Fa’asuamaleaui and Dolphins back Tabuai-Fidow are among the biggest names Down Under reportedly pondering over their international allegiance ahead of the Ashes.

Both are Australia-born, but have already represented Samoa on the international front through their heritage as well as the Kangaroos.

If they opt to don a Samoa shirt again this autumn, they will compete in the Pacific Championships rather than the Ashes, which will see Australia take on England in a three-match series.

‘I’m not bothered either way, to be honest. We’d love them to be part of the Kangaroos, but we totally respect if they choose to play for Samoa’

Defection has been among the buzzwords for a while Down Under as the build up to the autumn tour ramps up, and when Walters – who was appointed as Mal Meninga’s successor in mid-July – sat down with the media on Monday, the topic was raised.

Addressing the matter, he said: “That’s a natural thing. There’s been a progression in the last four or five years where some players have defected to other countries, I get that and I respect that.

“But I feel as a nation and as a country, Australia has got great depth in every position, so we’ll be taking 22 fit Kangaroos to England ready to go to battle for the Ashes. I don’t have any concerns.

“We’ve had a chat (with Fa’asuamaleaui and Tabuai-Fidow) and there’s no pressure. The team will be selected after the Grand Final.

“Obviously the Titans won’t be playing finals (NRL play-offs), maybe the Dolphins can sneak in, but when their seasons are finished I’ll get to them and we’ll get a decision out of them.

“I’m not bothered either way, to be honest. We’d love them to be part of the Kangaroos, but we totally respect if they choose to play for Samoa or another country they desire.

“That doesn’t bother me too much, we’ll take 22 players over there that want to wear the green and gold.”

‘We’ve seen a few Australian players in recent years put their hand up and assign themselves to England, and I don’t have a problem with it’

Should England head coach Shaun Wane see fit, Walters’ side may also have to contend with the prospect of facing some very familiar faces come autumn, with a plethora of eligible Aussies sticking their hand up to represent the opposition.

Titans ace AJ Brimson and Canterbury Bulldogs prop Max King are among the players on that list, while Canberra Raiders young gun Ethan Strange is also eligible to represent both Australia and England, but hasn’t pledged his allegiance either way just yet.

The path to represent England as an Aussie has already been laid by Victor Radley, who has been capped nine times by Wane with his dad Nigel hailing from Sheffield.

Walters said: “I think it’s great for our world game that players can represent the country they feel they’re most passionate for.

“We’ve seen a few Australian players in recent years put their hand up and assign themselves to England, and I don’t have a problem with it.

“The stronger we can make our game, the better it is for the world game, and the more challenging it is for every nation.

“We’ve seen the Pacific nations really stand up in the last couple of years and England have always been strong.

“They don’t really need any assistance whatsoever, but if they can get some outside help from players from Australia, (they might).

“There’s probably more English players from Super League playing in our competition (NRL) now than ever.

“There’s talented players right across our competition that are English or qualify to play for England. It’s great for our game.”

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