NRL chief executive Dave Smith has stood firm on the Origin eligibility rules, even if it means South Sydney prospect Luke Keary misses out on playing for his preferred state of Queensland.

Keary, the talented Rabbitohs playmaker currently sidelined, is some years off being considered for Origin, but made it clear he was aligned to the men in maroon should selectors come calling.

Under the new criteria, Keary ticks four of the five boxes for the Blues, despite being born in Ipswich and living in Queensland until he was 10. The changes were made to prevent a repeat of the Greg Inglis scenario, but in Keary's case has only served to create more discontent.

Smith was refusing to budge as he launched an Origin promotional campaign in Brisbane, saying the criteria was put in place before he started in 2012 and there needed to be firm guidelines around the Origin selection framework.

"I haven't personally heard from Luke. The rules around eligibility were re-established before my time back in 2012. Some very learned people sat down at a table and established those rules," Smith said.

"We've applied those rules. Clearly that's going to lead to disappointment for some people but the rules are the rules."

The QRL believe Keary's case has exposed a loophole in the laws and there should be a second look. Queensland great Gorden Tallis has backed that stance, saying no player should be forced to play for a state they have no desire to represent.

Keary has approached the Rugby League Players' Association for guidance on the matter, and RLPA chief executive David Garnsey said Keary had a ''compelling case'' to be considered a Queenslander.

"The revised State of Origin eligibility criteria announced by the [Australian Rugby League Commission] in March 2012 are designed to eliminate the possibility of unfair or incongruous outcomes but, as with anything like this, there are always bound to be individuals who feel their circumstances merit special consideration," Garnsey said.

"That doesn’t necessarily mean the criteria are wrong but, in certain cases, players are entitled to make an application to the ARLC to determine whether an exception can be made.

"The RLPA has discussed with Luke his options and there is no doubt he is passionate about representing Queensland and has a compelling case. It’s not appropriate to comment on the specifics of his application, however, we have supported Luke in this process, not least because it is clear – and the NRL has acknowledged this – that he has a strong emotional attachment to Queensland and his desire to represent that state is a sincere reflection of where his loyalty lies."