Mal Meninga has given Daly Cherry-Evans the first shot at staking a claim to become Australia’s halfback when they kick off their Rugby League World Cup campaign.
Key points:Penrith and NSW star Nathan Cleary is also in the squad, with Meninga saying he will get a chance tooThere are no players from the NRL grand final named in the Kangaroos’ team for the first gameCherry-Evans is the incumbent, although the Kangaroos have not played since 2019
Australia face their toughest assignment in Group B when they take on Fiji at Headingley in Leeds on Sunday (AEDT) in their first game of the tournament.
Meninga made a point when naming his team on Tuesday evening to rest all grand final players, giving them an extra week to recover from the October 2 decider.
He also confirmed all players not named for the tournament opener will play the following week against Scotland, giving every player a chance to make their case.
“This is an extremely strong team and suits what we are trying to achieve over the whole tournament,” Meninga said.
“We have three pool matches and I aim to play every player during the pool matches.
“The grand final players will not play against Fiji, while a number of the players we have named have not played in weeks.
“It’s important to give them match time as we look at our combinations.”
Meninga has long resisted the temptation to declare whether Cherry-Evans or Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary partner Cameron Munster in the halves deeper into the tournament.
Cleary’s premiership-winning performances with the Panthers over the last two years have put him closer to a maiden Test appearance.
But Meninga has consistently made a point of saying that Cherry-Evans is the incumbent, having been the halfback in Australia’s last outing in 2019 when they lost to Tonga.
Cherry-Evans’s performances with Queensland in State of Origin this season will carry some weight with former Maroons coach Meninga.
A fixture against Italy in St Helens rounds out Australia’s group games, where Meninga will have a clearer direction on his first-choice halfback.
AAP
Source:: ABC News
