Origin stars set to represent seven nations at RLWC2026

Tonga captain Addin Fonua-Blake’s Origin call up for NSW has finally enabled him to answer the burning question family and friends have been asking for most of his career.

“There’s always conversations like, ‘do you think you could have made it’,” Fonua-Blake said.

Changes to the State of Origin eligibility rules have paved the way for Fonua-Blake, England backrower Victor Radley and the Kiwis duo of Briton Nikora and Casey McLean to play in the series opener on May 27 at Accor Stadium.

“I’ve always said, ‘I don't know if I would have made it, but I would have loved to have given it a shot’," the Blues prop said.

"Now we don't have to think about the 'what ifs'. I’m here and I can’t wait for my chance.”

Fonua-Blake has no regrets about his decision to play for New Zealand in the 2017 World Cup, before switching his allegiances to Tonga, whom he will represent at RLWC2026 along with Blues team-mates Haumole Olakau’atu and Tolu Koula.

Nor does Radley, who has been named on the NSW interchange after believing he had given up the chance to play Origin by choosing to represent England at the last World Cup in 2022.

“It wasn't taken away from me, I chose to play for England and I've had some great experiences playing for them, but it's good that I'm going to get this opportunity,” Radley said.

“As soon as they changed the rule, I said ‘happy days’. It was good that it wasn't up to a rule whether I was going to play or not; it was whether I was good enough.”

Radley and Fonua-Blake are among players from seven World Cup nations in the NSW side - Australia, England, Fiji, Lebanon, New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga.

Queensland have players who are eligible to represent six nations at RLWC2026.

Rookie Maroons halfback Sam Walker qualifies for England as he was born in Leeds, while NSW debutants Blayke Brailey and Ethan Strange are eligible through their mothers.

Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga successfully applied to change his international eligibility from Australia to New Zealand and is expected to join Nikora and McLean in the Kiwis squad for RLWC2026. Strange is also eligible for the Kiwis through his paternal grandmother.

Blues pair Brian To’o and Stephen Crichton will play for Samoa at the World Cup, along with Maroons star Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and there is speculation that Tino Fa'asuamaleaui could also pledge his allegiances to the Toa.

In total, 18 of the 40 players named by NSW and Queensland could play for nations other than Australia at the World Cup, including Maroons trio Robert Toia, Jo Jo Fifita and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, who have previously represented Tonga.

Blues centre Kotoni Staggs, who was a member of last year’s Kangaroo tour to England, has also played for Tonga and starred in the Pacific nation’s 2019 upset win against the Kangaroos in Auckland.

NSW five-eighth Mitch Moses was the Lebanon halfback at the last two World Cups, steering the Cedars to the quarter finals in Australia in 2017 and England in 2022, while interchange prop Jacob Saifiti has played seven Tests for Fiji.