COOPER BAI CAN PLAY FOR QLD MAROONS

PNG Kumuls and Melbourne Storm legend Marcus Bai admitted that the recent eligibility rules changes for the State of Origin is a welcoming news for himself, his family and for his son Cooper, that will probably paved way for his son to play for the Queensland Maroons.

Bai, who is also a board member to the new NRL expansion team, the PNG Chiefs assured that Papua New Guineans should be proud and welcomed this news as those PNG Kumuls players born in Australia, either in News South Wales or Queensland will now be eligible to play in the State of Origin and will bring that added boost and experience back to the Country.

The 144 NRL games veteran alone for Storm, spanning from 1998 to 2003, Bai further added that his son Cooper is eligible to play for the Queensland and he will bring that energy and skills back to the Kumuls camp to play for his country, which is vitally important for local players to get the motivations.

“My kids are Queenslanders and its good for them,” Bai told media. “Its good, in terms of the experience.
“My son Cooper is selected, it’s good for Papua New Guinea, because he can come back here and play for the Kumuls and again in the World Cup.

“If he gets selected (State of Origin) to be the 19th or 18th man, that is good for the country and for our family.”
Bai said other Pacific Islands countries offers handful of quality players to the NRL, yet Papua New Guinea is still behind that such rules changes are better for the growth of the game. “So it lifts that standard.”

“Other people wont like it, but to me, it is good the other nations, especially Fiji, Tonga, Samoa And Papua New Guinea.
“Because they got top players in the NRL.”

“But for Papua New Guinea, its not too many, I can’t see any home-grown players, Justin Olam is the last one,” he said.

Bai indicated that his son Cooper will always be a proud Kumuls, however, there are plans underway to brough Cooper the Chiefs squad later on.

“It is good for us that when the boys later on come back to Chiefs, and then they are eligible for Queensland.
“They bring the experience back to our local kids so it is a exciting news for us and for the Pacific to build our team,” he said.