Rising Star and Origin Eligibility Debate
The impressive performance of Brisbane Broncos forward Xavier Willison has sparked a lot of discussion among National Rugby League (NRL) fans about whether he is eligible to play in the State of Origin for Queensland. Willison delivered a standout performance in the Broncos’ recent match against the Bulldogs, scoring a try and accumulating 170 metres with four tackle-breaks and a line-break.
He played 75 minutes in the absence of key players such as Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan, and Corey Jensen, contributing significantly to the Broncos’ 32-12 victory. Willison’s strong start to the 2026 season comes after he was part of the premiership-winning team last season.
This success has led many to question his eligibility for State of Origin, especially given the NRL’s recent rule changes that allow players from New Zealand and England to represent NSW or Queensland. Willison played two Tests for New Zealand last year, which means he isn’t automatically excluded from playing Origin.
However, the 23-year-old does not meet the age criteria required for State of Origin eligibility. Players must have resided in either New South Wales or Queensland before their 13th birthday. Willison arrived in Australia at the age of 15, which effectively bars him from participating in the event.
This situation is similar to that of Dolphins star Herbie Farnworth, who also didn’t arrive in Australia until after turning 13. The NRL introduced new rules this year to allow players who have represented Tier-1 nations (New Zealand and England) to participate in the showpiece event. However, they still need to meet the age criteria.
Players like Addin-Fonua Blake, Casey McLean, and Victor Radley are now eligible for NSW, while Briton Nikora is available for Queensland. Kalyn Ponga can continue to play for the Maroons despite switching his Test allegiance to New Zealand. Jahrome Hughes is technically eligible to play for Queensland, but he has ruled it out due to a lack of passion for the Maroons.
NSW Pushes for Panther’s Exemption
There is currently a debate about whether NSW should be allowed to include Panthers prop Moses Leota in their squad. Leota missed the age cut-off by just four months. NSW officials are reportedly pushing for an exemption to let him play, but Andrew Johns and Billy Slater believe it shouldn’t be allowed.
“No. It should be a hard line (stance),” Johns said on Channel 9 earlier this month. “Where do you stop? Four months, six months, nine months? It should be 13 and that’s it.”
Maroons coach Slater added: “It won’t happen. Ronaldo Mulitalo missed an Origin jersey a few years ago because of this exact situation, which would have been extremely hard for him. He played all the junior reps for Queensland.”
