'Frustrating': Mal Meninga weighs in as Payne Haas, Tino Fa'asuamaleau eye switch of allegiance

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has admitted Payne Haas' plan to switch his international allegiance from Australia to Samoa is "frustrating" as debate continues to swirl around the game's eligibility rules.

Meninga's Kangaroos were dealt a blow when The Sydney Morning Herald revealed this week that Haas was set to pledge his allegiance to Samoa in a move which would rule him out of this year's Ashes tour.

Haas' mother Joan Taufua is Samoan and the Broncos front-rower wants to honour his Polynesian heritage at this year's Pacific Championships, despite having represented Australia in four Tests.

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According to the SMH, Gold Coast Titans captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, who's donned green and gold on seven occasions, is also considering a defection from Australia to Samoa to honour his father's heritage.

As the game's eligibility rules stand, Haas and Fa'asuamaleaui will still be able to represent NSW and Queensland in State of Origin respectively if they swap to playing for Samoa.

However, players such as Victor Radley and Jason Taumalolo are not allowed to play Origin because of their respective allegiance to England and New Zealand (Taumalolo played for the Kiwis before switching to Tonga).

That's because the rules state those aligned with a tier-one nation other than Australia — in other words, England or New Zealand — are barred from Origin football.

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Radley was born in Sydney, and although Taumalolo was born in Auckland, the 2016 Dally M Medal winner moved to Queensland before his 13th birthday, meaning both men would be eligible to play Origin if not for the fact they'd played for a tier-one nation other than Australia.

Phil Gould is among the many who believe players who meet the Origin eligibility criteria should be allowed to represent NSW or Queensland regardless of which country they play for in the international area.

"It's a little frustrating at the moment hearing all these rumours and Payne coming out and expressing his desires," Meninga said on Nine's Today.

"For me, I think we've done enough sacrifices for the international program, and there's parity amongst payments and the group, so I just feel that we take the tears away now and value the international jersey a bit more.

"I think if we sit down around a table and look at those eligibility rules we can come up with something pretty special."

Meninga said he understood the wishes of players such as Haas and Fa'asuamaleaui.

"You can't blame them," said the rugby league Immortal.

"That's their ancestral background and there's a desire in the back of their hearts to play for Tonga or Samoa or whoever.

"But it's a bit frustrating from an Australian point of view.

"I still believe Origin is a beast and we've got to keep that going.

"But if we value the international program, let's look at equity among the distribution of players as well."

Beginning in late October, Australia and England will square off in the first Ashes series since 2003 when they clash in a three-game series.