Daniel Tupou

Tonga puts Origin stars Daniel Tupou, Kotoni Staggs on collision course with NSW

Tonga coach Kristian Woolf named a 25-man squad, with Tupou on the wing and Staggs at five-eighth, in a call likely to force the two stars to choose between state and country.

Manly second-rower Haumole Olakau'atu and Cronulla centre Siosifa Talakai, who have both been mentioned as contenders to be added to the Blues squad, were also both named.

Under the current eligibility rules, players from Tier 2 nations such as Tonga can play State of Origin without having to declare their allegiance to Australia.

Tupou, Crichton fined for Origin tackles

Tupou was charged with grade one dangerous contact on Maroons forward Patrick Carrigan in the 52nd of the match while Crichton's lifting tackle on Cameron Munster a minute later saw him attract a grade one dangerous throw charge. 

The pair will both be fined seven percent of their Origin match fee after they accepted the early guilty plea under the new judiciary system announced this week.

They will both be available for their respective NRL clubs in round 14. 

     

Tupou committed to Tonga for World Cup but ready for Blues return

The Roosters winger is one of eight members of NSW’s 27-man State of Origin squad also eligible for a Pacific nation, along with Junior Paulo, Stephen Crichton, Jarome Luai, Payne Haas (Samoa), Daniel Saifiti and Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Fiji) and Tyson Frizell (Tonga).

The Maroons have 10 players who qualify for one of the Pacific nations – Jaydn Su’a, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Josh Papalii, Dunamis Lui and Hymel Hunt (Samoa), Moeaki Fotuaika, Brenko Lee and Felise Kaufusi (Tonga), Xavier Coates (Papua New Guinea) and Valentine Holmes (Cook Islands).

In-form Tupou eyes Tonga return

Tupou, who made three back-to-back tackles to stop a South Sydney try and then force a turnover in Thursday night's 20-6 win, celebrated the milestone with a second-half try and produced two line breaks from his 11 runs of the ball, which yielded 113 metres on the left wing.