Huddersfield coach Nathan Brown has been labelled "ignorant and insulting" after criticising the call-up of Australia-raised player Ian Henderson by England boss Steve McNamara.
Brown, an Australian who is in his fourth season in Super League, was scathing of McNamara's decision to name the Catalan Dragons hooker in his elite training squad ahead of this year's internationals, especially at the expense of in-form Giants hooker Luke Robinson.
Although Henderson was born in Torquay and represented Scotland in the 2008 World Cup after qualifying through his Glasgow-born father, Brown is adamant that he should not play for England.
He said: "If something looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck, isn't it?
"He looks Aussie and talks Aussie so I suppose he is an Aussie."
Henderson responded by saying he was disgusted by Brown's "close-minded" views while Brown was also criticised by former Huddersfield and England coach Tony Smith.
Henderson said: "I am English. I was born in England, my mother is English and my father is Scottish. Every single member of our family, sister, brothers, cousins and extended relatives were born in Great Britain.
"I moved to Australia when I was five years old and our parents brought us up in British tradition.
"We have always supported England. I grew up in a Liverpool shirt and wore the English strip during World Cup campaigns, which I still have today.
"My brothers and myself have all returned to England to live and play and for Nathan Brown to question my family's commitment to this country is ignorant and insulting.
"Every member of my family is disgusted by his close-minded views just because I have an Australian accent.
"I am proud of being English and my family is proud of our heritage dating back hundreds of years in this country.
"I am happy to fight for a position based on my form but no one should question my eligibility or the pride I have to be an Englishman."
Brown, who is joining St Helens next season, also condemned McNamara's selection of Castleford's former Maori representative player Rangi Chase in England's 2011 Four Nations campaign.
Smith, another Australian now in charge of Warrington, believes Brown was out of order with his comments and says he intends to speak to his fellow countryman.
"I've been on both sides," said Smith. "We've all got opinions and we're a little bit biased towards our own players.
"I'm just not sure how productive it is when we start telling each other who we should select or recruit.
"Personally, I think it's fine for me to promote my players to Steve but I don't think it's my job to say who he shouldn't pick.
"If you come out and say my player is better than another player I don't think it's a healthy respect for one another as coaches.
"I also think it's getting very close to some things that shouldn't be said."
During his three-year spell as national coach, Smith caused a stir with the selection of St Helens' Samoa-born forward Maurie Fa'asavalu for Great Britain but he insists he, like McNamara, was operating within the law.
"Every sport operates within certain rules," Smith said. "If they were breaking the rules to do it, I'd hate that, but I'm not sure why we criticise ourselves.
"If that's what every sporting body is going to do, let's all do it."
