Tonga coach Kristian Woolf has brushed off English counterpart Wayne Bennett’s renewal of the international rugby league eligibility debate ahead of the two sides’ World Cup semi-final.

Rampaging lock forward Jason Taumalolo shocked the league world in October by defecting from his birth nation of New Zealand to his Tongan motherland.

He was joined by David Fusitu’a, Sio Siua Taukeiaho and Manu Ma’u, while Sharks-based powerhouse Andrew Fifita snubbed Australia.

Yet the quintet’s decision appears to have paid off, with New Zealand crashing out in the quarter-finals and Tonga easing into the Cup final four.

Bennett kept his thoughts to himself for much of the World Cup, but unleashed a few barbs in the direction of the Tongan camp this week.

With his side set to face Mate Ma’a for a spot in the Cup final, Bennett said guidelines for representing tier-two nations need to be tightened.

He suggested the five players had disrupted the Kiwis and Kangaroos camps with their switch, and left their birth nations in the lurch.

Woolf gave short shrift to Bennett’s views.

“It doesn’t really bother me. We’re well into the tournament, that’s an issue for six weeks ago now. I didn’t read it,” Woolf said on Friday.

A former Brisbane Broncos assistant and current Townsville Blackhawks coach, Woolf has taken Tonga to unprecedented heights this year.

Ranked 11th in the world at the start of the Cup, Tonga have tipped over Samoa, Scotland, the Kiwis and Lebanon on the way to their semi-final.

Woolf admitted he’d like to step up to full-time NRL coaching at some point in the future, but was enjoying his time with the Polynesians.

“This has been an outstanding campaign and, like the players have, I’ve enjoyed my six weeks – that speaks volumes for the whole group. Everyone’s still enjoying each other’s company, everyone is enjoying being away,” Woolf said.