Kangaroos squad for Tests against NZ and Tonga

[Unbreakable]

1. Watene-Zelezniak
2. Rapana
3. Marsters
4. Manu
5. Isaako
6. Hughes
7. Johnson
8. J.Bromwich
9. Smith
10. Taupau
11. Tapine
12. Liu
13. Blair

14. Nikorima
15. K.Bromwich
16. Waerea-Hargreaves
17. Fisher-Harris

 

[Alec]

Australia without the big 4 will be interesting to see. Still, can't see NZ beating them.

 

[Super Freak]

Inglis is out. Suspended.

 

[Alec]

Who is going to be brought in? I hope it's not freaking Chambers.

 

[mitch222]

Inglis is out. Suspended.

Mal was always going to make a stand. The no dickhead policy is needed and **** me Inglis picked possibly the worst time to ever go DUI especially when you have just been announced as the Australian captain.
Have they announced his replacement yet?

 

[mitch222]

Who is going to be brought in? I hope it's not freaking Chambers.

Yeah Chambers has been shocking all year. He has been found out in a massive way.

Im think Mal has two choices, he plays Turbo Tom as centre and brings in Addo Carr or someone like Gagai or Roberts. He could also just go with Peachey at centre and get another forward.

 

[Super Freak]

Mal was always going to make a stand. The no dickhead policy is needed and **** me Inglis picked possibly the worst time to ever go DUI especially when you have just been announced as the Australian captain.
Have they announced his replacement yet?

Cordner will be captain and Gagai will replace him at centre.

 

[mitch222]

Cordner will be captain and Gagai will replace him at centre.

One big question is who will be vice captain? There isn't exactly any major options out there and those who could be are only new to the team (DCE). I can only think of possibly Frizell as a vice captain

 

[tommy]

One big question is who will be vice captain? There isn't exactly any major options out there and those who could be are only new to the team (DCE). I can only think of possibly Frizell as a vice captain

Josh Jackson. Duh.

 

[Super Freak]

One big question is who will be vice captain? There isn't exactly any major options out there and those who could be are only new to the team (DCE). I can only think of possibly Frizell as a vice captain

I wouldn't rule out Jake Trbojevic.

I think it's out of him, Frizell and DCE.

 

[mitch222]

Josh Jackson. Duh.

He is man of the series not vice captain

 

[Big Pete]

A dawn of a new era for Australian Rugby League.

With the retirements of Billy Slater, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk & Cameron Smith we've entered a pivotal moment in the International arena. The Australians no longer have that core group of superstars to guide them around the park and a largely untested group have to fill the void. On paper, it's difficult to envision them getting knocked off their perch, but by the same token, I can see a lot changing between now and the 2021 World Cup.

I see these two upcoming tests as a litmus test to see which members of the 2017 World Cup squad are keepers, and which need to be moved on. It's also an opportunity to see how Latrell Mitchell, Damien Cook, James Tedesco & Tyrone Peachey handle this level. All four of them deserve the opportunity and I expect Tedesco, Cook & Mitchell will play an integral role in these two games.

The only glaring omission was Will Chambers. Normally Mal sticks with the players who have done the job in the past and when Inglis was stood down, ordinarily Chambers would have been considered. Instead they went with a winger in Dane Gagai, potentially spelling the end of Will Chambers' representative career. I can't say I disagree with the selectors either, but for a fairly predictable team-list, Chambers' omission was certainly glaring.

I'm interested to see what lessons Meninga took out of Origin. The Blues enjoyed a lot of success around the ruck this season, thanks large in part to Cook & Tedesco. I'd imagine he would want to see how their combination plays at this level and will be looking to play a more direct style. That means his fondness for second-man plays down the left-hand touchline will have to take a back-seat as the Australians look to play down short-sides and do everything to get Cook, Tedesco and even Munster to run the football.

This will help Josh McGuire's case for selection. McGuire finds himself in heavy competition with Jordan McLean & Reagan Campbell-Gillard for that second prop spot on the bench. I'd imagine McGuire's mobility could give him an edge over Campbell-Graham's aggressiveness since he can generate faster play the balls.

Hunt vs. Peachey will come down to Mal's opinion on Cook. If Mal believes Cook is the future #9, then Peachey's versatility will give him an edge. If Mal isn't as confident, Hunt may get the opportunity there. Hunt has shown in the past that he's a handy option off the bench, but I see too much indecision in his game to be an effective #9.

The big concern for Australia will be their middle third. The only noted defender of their middles is Trbojevic with the rest merely being passable. That means they will be vulnerable if the likes of Taumalolo & Bromwich decide to bring their A game to Mt. Smart. Of equal concern will be the defence of Dane Gagai & Tom Trbojevic on the right edge. Trbojevic is naturally a fullback and while his defence at Origin level was passable, it wasn't truly tested. Meanwhile Gagai's defence has always been his biggest defeciency. His reads aren't bad, but he struggles to shut the play down. Fortunately I can't see New Zealand or Tonga playing expansive football, so he may get off scott free. Tuivasa-Sheck is a big out for the Kiwis and Will Hopoate's ball-playing has never been a big feature of his game. The Tongan halves are below par, and Shaun Johnson plays on the other side of the field, so he should be safe.

In the grand scheme of things, this International series will be more about New Zealand and how they rebuild after their disastrous World Cup campaign, but that's another matter entirely. As a quick aside, I'm glad they picked Brandon Smith at dummy half and I'm curious to see where Jamayne Isaako plays. Jamayne had a fantastic year for the Broncos on the right wing, but the position clearly didn't come natural to him. I always saw him more as an inside centre-style five eighth who could play fullback if need be. With Rapana on the right-wing, I wonder if they give Isaako a shot at 1 or 6?

 

[The True King]

Scratching my head at the people preferring McGuire over Jake Turbo at lock...

You're kidding..?

Josh Papalii ought to feel hard done by. Should have been one of the first names on the bench given his form towards the end of the season.

 

[Alec]

I rate Gagai super high as a winger, but I think he's a godawful centre, easily worse than this year's Chambers IMO.

 

[Super Freak]

1. James Tedesco
2. Valentine Holmes
3. Latrell Mitchell
4. Tom Trbojevic
5. Dane Gagai
6. Cameron Munster
7. Daly Cherry-Evans
8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard
9. Damien Cook
10. David Klemmer
11. Boyd Cordner (c)
12. Felise Kaufusi
13. Jake Trbojevic

14. Ben Hunt
15. Josh McGuire
16. Aaron Woods
17. Tyson Frizell

That's really the best side they can pick. Possibly McLean replaces someone on the bench.

 

[Alec]

That's really the best side they can pick. Possibly McLean replaces someone on the bench.

I don't think McLean is better than any of the 5 middle forwards in that team. Prob no spot for him other than injury/feeling guilty.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

To be perfectly honest, I'll be barracking for Tonga

 

[Kimlo]

Go Tonga.