Player eligibility has come under the microscope after several players defected from their current national side to play for other countries including Jason Taumalolo (New Zealand) and Andrew Fifita (Australia) who defected to Tonga for the World Cup.

Johns said players were pressured to select Australia as their preference at a junior rugby league age.  

“People who are affiliated with the Australian side and I’m not talking Mal Meninga, I’m talking more at a junior level, when they’re younger they get a form,” John explained on the The Triple M Grill Team.

“Who do you want to represent? Some of these kids were born in Tonga and Samoa. I don’t know if pressured is the right word but they get asked ‘represent Australia, tick Australia’.

“If we are serious about growing the international game, if you a born in Fiji, you should be encouraged to play for Fiji. There should be incentives.”

A deterrent to pass on playing for their birth nation is also attributed to their want to play State of Origin.

And Johns has a plan to remedy the current situation to ensure the fringe league nations are bolstered by having players born in those countries represent them.  

“Because you played your first junior game in NSW, you can play State of Origin. Or you can play for Queensland if you’re playing your football there,” Johns said.

“We have it the wrong way around. You want people who are Fijian and Tongan playing at the highest level which is State of Origin because it sells the game.

“I want kids representing their country and I hope in the future we have a situation where the Pacific island teams actually start beating Australia.”