It's funny when you think about Polynesian eligibility.
Short answer is all Polynesians technically qualify by descent to play for any Island including these Islands.
NZ Maori used to honor this tradition and invite Samoans etc to play for them.
The NRL came along with the Grand parent rule.
Hmm
The NRL are one of the greatest European colonial rule makers in Polynesia with their plucked from thin air rules.
Gets on my tits they own this game and therefore have bought off these two cultural teams which the NRL market like a fun carnival despite the players themselves signing on for culture, for ancestors and for blood and kin.
To the players, this is bigger than Origin, to the NRL this has been put in a little preseason insignificant pocket to keep the coloreds in their place.
Tokenism.
Preston Campbell drove the movement to elevate this contest, his motivation was raising consciousness to the plight of Indigenous people.
The NRL made much Wankery about this, they went heavy on the message that they support Preston Campbell, NRL great and all, and his message.
The NRL even have a page called the value of the Presto Award and why it matters.
Yet by scheduling it in this preseason widow the NRL made sure black Fellahs business does not clash with White mans Origin and test business.
Pretty shit really how they demoted this game that matters to whole races below whitemans mate vs white mate nonsense.
That might sound harsh....but consider how these kients also demoted tests which means nations, below their mates vs Aussie mates Australian White propaganda.
The NRL could elevate the ALL STARS game tomorrow, and they definitely could elevate the NZ AUS tests tomorrow given NZ are so strong.
But they racially model their strategy to keep those threats to their internal State vs State nonsense which isn't even a good watch anymore as the highest form of the game.