Here’s how a proper world federation reacts when a club coach stops an athlete competing in sanctioned international competition.

Firstly, it asks the national federation concerned to explain the situation. Then, if there is no satisfactory response, it orders the national federation to suspend the athlete from domestic competition for the same term as the event in which he has been prevented competing.

If the domestic federation refuses to comply, the player is essentially unregistered. If an unregistered athlete competes at any level, his home federation is liable to sanctions.

Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share

The country could be suspended from the next international meet.

Wayne Bennett, the coach of England, has assumed control over the make up of Samoa’s national team by saying he won’t let Anthony Milford play against Tonga next week.

He will, however let Joe Ofahengaue play for Tonga in the same game.

It is a black-and-white contravention of the rules of international sport. Back in the eighties, it didn’t matter if it was Cronulla or the Sorensen brothers themselves who didn’t want them to play for New Zealand, if they didn’t they couldn’t play for the Sharks.

Whether it’s Milford who doesn’t want to play for Samoa and Bennett is protecting him, the result should be the same – a mandatory one-match stand-down from club football.

If Australia refuse to stand Milford down for one club game they should probably be threatened with expulsion from the Four Nations.



But the RLIF doesn’t run the Four Nations. It’s run by the RFL, whose CEO employed Bennett as coach. And the RFL can’t afford Australia not to turn up.

The RLIF only runs the World Cup, which next year is in Australia. It’s being run with the help of the NRL. The RLIF’s secretary works out of the same office as the federation it should be sanctioning.

Milford plays for Brisbane, which is in Queensland – the state that tried to claim he was ineligible for Samoa for the first part of the week even though this was patently untrue.

And the Pacific Tests themselves run by the NRL, not the RLIF. Super League games are on the same weekend and that competition’s players won’t be involved.

Everyone of any influence in rugby league has conflicting interests. Rugby league can’t afford independence.

In short, the stand-downs won’t happen because the RLIF is not a proper International Federation. It’s toothless.

Rugby league is actually run by a handful of coaches in Australia.

Rugby league is currently seeking IOC and SportAccord recognition. Conflicts of interests and insufficient oversight and transparency are just the things that stop you getting that recognition.



We may well point out that Wayne Bennett’s claims of loving international rugby league can be summarily dismissed forever.

But there’s a deeper truth in all this, the selection of Semi Radradra by Australia included.

It proves, than in any real sense, international rugby league does not exist.

It’s a mirage. A bunch of All Star teams assembled by the very, very limited goodwill of NRL club that together raise a pittance every four years to hand to a few hardy outposts.

Rugby league is not recognised as a sport by most national governments and has so far failed to gain recognition by the IOC or Sport Accord.

Their reluctance to do so is wholly supported by this week’s events.

One would hope this sort of thing would not happen in poker and arm wrestling, the other two pursuits seeking SportAccord recognition.

They hopefully don’t have one Federation that is an enormously rich bully with absolutely no interest in the future propagation of their sport.



So, being totally honest, they probably should join the global family of real sports. And thanks to decisions like those made by Australian selectors and Wayne Bennett, we probably shouldn’t because we’re just not grown up enough yet.

And we must accept we may never be