Concerns have been raised over the future of International and State of Origin eligibility with incoming Kangaroos coach Kevvie Walters facing three stars defecting ahead of the 2025 Ashes Tour.

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Walters is reportedly set to land the Kangaroos coaching job this week, but he could be without three of his best players, who look set to join Samoa.

Queensland stars Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Blues prop Payne Haas are reportedly set to turn their back on playing for Australia in favour of representing Samoa.

With Samoa a tier two nation, the trio can still play Origin for the Maroons and Blues while representing their country, unless Samoa and Tonga are changed to tier one nations.

The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read revealed on NRL 360 that Walters will officially be announced as the Kangaroos coach this week.

“I think it will happen at some point this week that Kevvie will be the new coach of the Kangaroos,” Read said.

“I think it is a smart decision. I thought maybe Wayne should have got the job, but once they made a decision not to appoint a club coach, I think Kevvie was the logical next bloke in line and I think he will doa great job.”

However, Walters is set to sign an unusual three game deal given how close it is tgo this year’s Ashes series.

“It is a three game deal because they have done it so quickly that they want to get through this Ashes series, which is really important for them,” Read said.

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Payne Haas, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.Source: FOX SPORTS

“So he has got his work cut out for him.”

The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield believes Walters will have a huge task to win without potentially three of the first players picked.

“It is going to be such a tough tour,” Rothfield said.

“A lot of players in Haas, Tino and now the Hammer might not make themselves available for that green and gold jersey.

“I know we have tremendous back-up in the centres, but is Latrell going to be fit to tour? Cam Murray in the old days was an automatic selection. Jake Turbo was too.

“It is going to be a really tough tour.”

Braith Anasta asked on NRL 360: “Do we think that Hammer, Tino and Haas are going to play for Australia or not? What are the odds here?”

Read believes all three will defect from the Kangaroos to Samoa.

“I don’t think Haas will,” Read said.

“I think Payne would have played for Samoa last year if he was fit and this year I think he will play for Samoa.

Why the delay on Walters decision? | 02:22

“I think Tino by the sounds of it is definitely leaning that way and my understanding is that Tino and Hammer have actually spoken about it.

“They spoke about it during Origin camp with Queensland, so there is every chance that

Hammer plays for Samoa. He has played for Samoa before at a World Cup a few years ago.

“So I think they all will play for Samoa.”

Rothfield believes players defecting from Australia to the tier two nations is great for the international game.

“It’s crazy isn’t it that this started four or five years ago with Andrew Fifita and Jason Taumalolo and its just growing and growing,” Rothfield said.

“I actually think it is great for International rugby league. Australia used to just have to put their jerseys on and turn up to win and the international game was pretty rubbish I thought.

“But now we have the Pacific Islands, England and New Zealand and I think it is great.”

“They’ve beaten nobody!” | 01:01

However, Dan Ginnane believes it is time for Samoa and Tonga to become tier one nations and force players to choose their allegiances once and for all.

“I like it, but I don’t like it when one of the players intimate, if I don’t get picked for Australia I will go and play for one of the Pacific Nations,” Ginnane said.

“I think Hammer said that in a press conference. I would rather he just say, I want to play for Samoa and that’s the end of that.

“I do think we need to get to tier one status for Samoa and Tonga and have some moratorium or amnesty for a year, that whoever wants to go across this is your chance, but that’s it. We can’t have chopping and changing.”

“The spin doctors have got to you!” | 02:23

However, Read warned that such a move would force players to choose between playing State of Origin and playing for their country, which would deny one or the other some of the biggest stars in the game.

“I don’t like that idea,” Read said.

“I have never been a fan of that idea because then you force players to make a choice between playing for Samoa and Tonga and playing State of Origin. I think they will all play State of Origin.”