This week on NRL.com's Friday Fever, Brad Fittler, Ruan Sims and Bill Woods look ahead to this weekend's Telstra Premiership preliminary finals, as well as discussing some of the big issues in the game.
Changes to international eligibility rules means eligible players are able to nominate a tier one nation (Australia, New Zealand, England) along with a tier two nation, with State of Origin players also able to play in the interstate clash and for their tier two nation.
Both Fittler and Sims were overwhelmingly in favour of the changes, with the former Panthers and Roosters great unsure as to why it took so long for these rules to be introduced.
"I don't know who stepped in the road and why these weren't the rules a long time ago, I really don't understand," Fittler said.
"Surely you've got to protect the State of Origin, people are pretty sensitive about that."
Sims added: "It adds to the World Cup next year obviously, it means that there's going to be a lot of players who would be good enough to make an Australian side, there's just someone a bit better ahead of them, they can still play for tier two nation."
"Those nations… their skill-sets are going to increase, and they're going to get better for that experience of having those professional players in their mix."
The panel also discuss Kieran Foran's move to the Warriors, Cooper Cronk's achievements ahead of his 300th NRL game, the NRL coaches' mind games and tactics in the lead-up to the weekend's grand final qualifiers.
Watch Friday Fever on NRL.com every Friday throughout the season.
