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‘A significant disadvantage removed’: Peters on why Origin eligibility changes matter for Kiwis
Sport Nation • February 17th, 2026 1:28 pm
New Zealand Rugby League CEO Greg Peters with Kiwis' fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad | Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport NZ
After the announcement of State of Origin's new eligibility changes and confirmation the series is heading this side of the Tasman, New Zealand Rugby League CEO Greg Peters is happy with the direction the game is heading.
For the first time since its inception in 1980, a State of Origin game will be held outside of Australia when Eden Park plays host to one of the three games in the 2027 series.
Along with this news, the Australian Rugby League Commission has approved changes to the eligibility rules, opening the door for New Zealand and England internationals to play if they hail from NSW or QLD.
With many Kiwis previously having to choose between Origin or representing New Zealand, Peters is glad these players now have more freedom to do both.
“There’s some pretty high-profile ones that could be in the mix,” Peters told Sport Nation’s Scotty & Izzy.
“Casey McLean is one who made the very brave decision to play for the Kiwis and forgo State of Origin at that stage, but now he’d be eligible.
“In last year’s Origin squads, there were players across both teams that were technically eligible for New Zealand.
“Those guys could’ve had this for them which they’ve never had before. So, it’s exciting.”
Players no longer having to decide between representing a Tier 1 nation, outside of Australia or Origin, means there might be less players representing these Tier 2 nations such as Tonga or Samoa.
But Peters isn’t too worried about those rosters being pillaged as a result of the law changes.
“They make their decisions for their own personal reasons,” Peters said.
"Playing for their culture, playing for their heritage, they may still do that. Our point is that they never had the option to play for the Kiwis and do Origin.
“A number of them are proud New Zealanders, as well as proud Samoans, Tongans, and Fijians.”
When it comes to representing New Zealand or playing State of Origin, another major factor in the decision-making is the financial incentive the interstate rivalry provides, Peters notes.
“If you’re getting paid $30,000 a game for Origin, you might earn $90,000 for the series, that’s a pretty big financial benefit. That has played on players' minds.
“You look at a guy like Kalyn Ponga , he’s been quite open about the fact that he’s a proud Māori New Zealander, but also a proud Queenslander because that’s where he grew up and that’s where his heart is.
“There are a number of factors there, and they want to represent at that level as well, not just the financial element.”
Why State of Origin's NZ debut is a "business decision for the game" | Scotty & Izzy
During Monday's announcement, chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission Peter V’landys claimed State of Origin is a "cultural phenomenon".
But from a Kiwi perspective the Peters can’t quite fully endorse that take.
“I’m not sure I’d go that far,” Peters said.
“I think there are many more events of cultural significance that we know should be up there too, including international Test matches of course.
Either way, the changes have been on NZRL’s radar for a while, and Peters is happy to have finally seen them come to fruition.
“We’ve been talking about this for a number of years,” Peters said. “I think it’s an amazing event, it’s a sugar rush for the fans coming over here and it’s great to see it being played in New Zealand.”
“There were a couple of reviews that we failed to get this through, and the player's voice is quite important in this.
“It was a significant disadvantage to Kiwis players who don’t get the opportunity, not only to earn the money, but to play at that high performance level that gives us another stepping stone to international football.
“The Kiwis, for example, will go into the World Cup this year without any games, whereas these guys get to play three games at pretty close to Test-match intensity.”
Millsy slams changes to State of Origin's eligibility rules | Millsy & Guy
Despite the progress these changes afford, Peters acknowledges there is still more needed to grow the game at the international level.
“I think we’ve made advances,” Peters said.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do to create a decent window for international football - racing into a World Cup without proper preparation that you would normally expect for an international event of that standard.
“There’s not much of a window there for the international game unfortunately.”
Listen to the full interview below:
