Kiwis secondrower Briton Nikora and Tonga prop Addin Fonua-Blake have been nominated for the RLWC2026 Team of the Week as they prepare to make their Origin debuts under changed eligibility rules.
The Sharks forwards join England lock Victor Radley and Kiwis back Casey McLean as the first players selected for NSW and Queensland who are not eligible to represent Australia.
Nikora, who moved to Queensland from New Zealand when he was nine-years-of-age, will pull on a Maroons jersey for the first time, while Fonua-Blake, Radley and McLean will play for NSW.
Maroons fullback Kalyn Ponga is also no longer available for Australia at the World Cup after successfully applying to change his international eligibility to New Zealand earlier this year.
The five, who were either born in NSW or Queensland or resided for their state before the age of 13, meet the criteria for selection and are now able to play after the ARLC modernised the Origin eligibility rules in February.
Ponga is another of the 14 players chosen in the State of Origin squads who have been nominated for the RLWC2026 Team of the Week after Round 11 of the NRL and Round 12 Super League matches.
Axed Blues fullback Dylan Edwards has also been nominated for the RLWC2026 Team of the Week - but the man who replaced him, James Tedesco, has not been after Sydney Roosters loss to North Queensland.
Each week, fans vote for their RLWC2026 Team of the Week from players nominated after the previous weekend's NRL and Super League matches, who are eligible for the 10 nations contesting Rugby League World Cup 2026.
The RLWC2026 Team of the Week is announced each Wednesday.
Vote for the RLWC2026 Team of the Week
