Calls for the Indigenous All Stars to participate at the Pacific Championships to give talented players not selected for Australia more opportunities has been flattened by its coach Mal Meninga.
The rugby league great has concerns about providing an "unnecessary division" that a second Australian side filled with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders may cause.
But Anaiwan man Dean Widders, the former Parramatta star and NRL Indigenous Pathways manager, has argued First Nations NRL players should be able to play in international competition where others representing Pasifika sides are unable to make the grade in the NRL or in Europe's Super League.
"We just don't have a platform for our Indigenous players to play at a higher representative level," Widders told rugby league's Over the Black Dot programming.
The only fixture an Indigenous side plays annually is against the Māori All Stars in the preseason.
Widders has proposed the Indigenous All Stars fill a void as the fourth team in the second-tier Pacific Bowl competition against Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the Cook Islands, which would see them avoid facing Australia in the Pacific Cup as well as New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga.
But this year the defending champions will take a break from the Cup competition as the Kangaroos tour England for three Test matches.
"We saw last year at the World Cup in the men's, Cody Walker, Latrell Mitchell, Josh Addo-Carr, some of our big star players, they all sat on the sideline and watched the international games," Widders said.
"We need to find a platform for our players to perform at the highest level.
"I keep pushing the barrow of the Pacific Championships.
"We should have a team in the Pacific Championships, men's and women's, and I will guarantee we will bring a lot of flavour and it is going to make it a better product."
Meninga however could not disagree more on the Indigenous All Stars appearing in future Pacific Championships.
Only in 1990,1992 and 1994 did the 'Australian Aborigines' play in the former Pacific Cup that ceased to exist in 2009 and didn't feature a team representing Australia's Test Kangaroos.
"If that is the wishes of someone like Dean (Widders) and First Nations players, I think they are misguided," Meninga told Fox Sports.
This suggestion comes on the back of recent speculation that Kangaroos heroes Payne Haas, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow are all considering defecting their allegiance to Samoa at the end of the year and brushing aside Australia's Ashes series.
Without Pasifika and Indigenous players, it may compromise Australian representation into largely players of European descent in the future and could lead to only loyal players eligible for Australian selection be represented from the State of Origin series, Meninga insisted.
"For me, there is no reason why we can't celebrate our (Indigenous) history, our heritage," he said.
"But at some stage, we have got to make a decision: are we Australian first?
"That doesn't disrespect First Nations people because they play a really important part in our history, but also a really important part in our game.
"And if a First Nations person by heritage is good enough to be picked in Australia's team, we do that.
"So, I don't think there is any bias."
Meninga was also adamant he will always take an Australia-first approach, fearing that playing an Indigenous All Stars side against international competition would be "devaluing the Australian jersey".
There would be no way of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander side avoiding playing the Kangaroos should an Indigenous All Stars feature in the future World Cup
While that did not happen in the 2000 World Cup when 'Aotearoa Māori' participated in the same competition as the New Zealand Kiwis, the possible scenario was not enough for the Māori not to participate again after a promise from the Super League International Board.
Meninga wanted the Indigenous All Stars to only show off their pride against the Māori All Stars.
"That's a great way to celebrate those two cultures," he said.
"But respectively, First Nations people are Australians as well.
"I pick Latrell Mitchell; I pick a Josh Addo-Carr in my footy teams (and) Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
"So, we have an everlasting respect for First Nations people in representative teams.
Meninga dismissed the notion Indigenous players don't have a "platform to excel" on the international stage.
"You know, Cody (Walker) has played for New South Wales. He has played in the All Stars - he has played PM XIIIs (against Papua New Guinea)," he said.
"It is a different view and opinions are welcomed. But if we are going to play in a Pacific Championships … you are dividing the nation.
"We are dividing the nations now with Pasifika (nations) and making choices.
"I think we are devaluing the Australian jersey."
After the IRL recently allowed players to loosely switch their national allegiance amid significant changes to criteria, Meninga said it was time for those in charge of the international game to make a clear statement.
The former Australian captain believes every player with Pasifika origin that has dual eligibility should decide which country they want to represent on signing their first NRL contract.
"I will tell you what upsets me - the frustration is picking a player to play for Australia because that is what they wanted but then changing their mind," Meninga said.
"But I also understand the reasons behind them changing their mind is that they are supporting their family, and they want to celebrate that too.
"But what I want is if you are going to play for Australia, you stick to Australia.
"That makes it less messy, and you don't have these storylines coming out."
