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Message: [QUOTE="Super Freak, post: 2688586, member: 8536"] NSW officials are investigating a loophole in the Origin eligibility rules that would enable Michael Ennis to play next Wednesday night's series decider even if he fails to beat a one match suspension for a high tackle. Ennis is on standby to replace injured Blues hooker Robbie Farah, who is facing an uphill battle to be fit for the July 8 Origin decider with a broken hand, and it is understood the Cronulla veteran spoke to NSW coach Laurie Daley about joining the team's camp in Coffs Harbour. Fairfax Media was told that officials had made enquries about the possibility of Ennis being available for the Blues if he was not named on Tuesday and served his suspension for the Sharks on the weekend. If Farah and Ennis were both unavailable, Daley would be forced to make two changes to the side which beat Queensland 26-18 in Origin II at the MCG as the next two players under consideration, St George Illawarra's Mitch Rein and Melbourne's Ryan Hinchcliffe, do not play 80 minutes for their club teams. Canterbury five-eighth Josh Reynolds would be in line for a recall on the bench as back up to either Rein or Hinchcliffe, placing doubt on the bench spot of Boyd Cordner, Josh Jackson or Trent Merrin. However, Fairfax Media can reveal that any NRL suspension expires after fulltime in the last game of the Telstra Premiership's round, meaning Ennis could serve his ban in Cronulla's match against Manly on Sunday and be drafted into the NSW team at the conclusion of Monday night's clash between Parramatta and the Tigers. The loophole is the same one Queensland exploited in 2002 by infamously naming TBA (to be announced) on the wing and later calling in Lote Tuqiri after the then Brisbane winger had served a suspension with the Broncos. Despite former NSWRL general manager Geoff Carr and late QRL managing director Ross Livermore later agreeing that the ploy was not in the best interests of the game and they would not use it again, no rule was ever formalised to prevent either state doing so. An NRL spokesman confirmed on Monday that Ennis could play for the Blues but said there would be a review of previous agreements about Origin eligibility. "No comment would be made about Michael Ennis while his case is before the match review committee," the spokesman said. "However the rules state that any player's suspension ends following the final game of the premiership round which coincides with the final match of their ban." If Cronulla were among the eight teams who had the bye next weekend, Ennis would be ineligible. Ennis was hit with a grade one careless high tackle with a base penalty of 67 points for a tackle on Matt Scott in the Sharks come from behind win against the Cowboys. He will miss one game because of 38 carry over points. The Sharks hooker has indicated that he will contest the charge at Wednesday night's judiciary in the hope of being cleared for Origin if Farah is ruled out. However, few players have beaten a grade one careless tackle charge and Ennis is given little chance of doing so. NSW chief executive Dave Trodden and his Queensland counterpart Rob Moore insisted they were unaware of the loophole when contacted by Fairfax Media. "There has yet to be any determination on whether or not Robbie Farah would be fit to play," Trodden said. "Until that determination is made I don't want to get into any speculation about who his replacement might be if he doesn't play." Moore said he was unconcerned if NSW took advantage of the loophole. "I have never thought about it. I don't know what their side is or anything they are proposing to do," Moore said. "I wasn't around when there was a previous testing of that ruling but with the new [ARLC] structure in the game some of those things slip through and you don't know the history of them." Meanwhile, NSW back-rower Beau Scott was cleared of any shoulder injury despite coming from the field for the Knights on Friday night and will be fit to play in the Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium. [URL="http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/state-of-origin/state-of-origin-loophole-enables-michael-ennis-to-replace-robbie-farah-for-nsw-blues-20150629-gi0u0i.html"]State of Origin: Loophole enables Michael Ennis to replace Robbie Farah for NSW Blues[/URL] [/QUOTE]

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