Five huge calls facing ‘outmuscled’ Kangaroos as changes loom

Kevin Walters is poised to roll out his best possible Kangaroos line-up for this week’s Rugby League World Cup clash with the Cook Islands.

The Australian coach spent the first two round games experimenting with different players, but says he now plans to pick his strongest team in each of the remaining games.

The Kangaroos escaped with a narrow win over New Zealand in week one, and then were pushed by a spirited Fiji side on Sunday night.

“I think we need more from everyone, really,” Walters said after Sunday’s scare.

“We know we can play better.”

The coach hinted strongly at his week two team immediately after beating the Kiwis in the first round, but says he hasn’t landed on his line-up for Saturday’s round three clash.

“No, not set,” Walters said.

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“We will have a good chat with these guys, and come up with a decision what’s best for next week.”

These are the major questions Walters needs to answer.

The backline

The big query Walters has to contend with is who wears the No.1 jumper going forward.

Reece Walsh was electric against the Kiwis, while James Tedesco responded with a typically classy performance against Fiji.

Tedesco is the reigning Clive Churchill Medal winner and should lay claim to the national jumper, but Walsh is a game breaker who can do things Tedesco probably can’t. The Roosters star is considered a safer pair of hands, so Walters effectively has a choice to make about his risk appetite.

“I wouldn’t call it a headache because it’s a great situation to be in, to have two of the best fullbacks in the game available for us,” Walters said on Sunday.

“They just keep producing. We will have a chat and get some decisions made around that for next week. Very grateful we have both these guys in our squad.”

Walsh could play a role off the bench if required, while Tedesco would ideally spend the entire game at fullback.

The wingers are set in stone given Walters only picked two to begin with, and Jack Bostock and Tom Trbojevic have each scored hat-tricks in the tournament so far.

The centres are much more confusing, with Kotoni Staggs and Bradman Best being less than inspiring on Sunday. Latrell Mitchell will almost certainly return at left centre this week, leaving the other two to fight it out - although Best is a left centre by trade, so Staggs looms as the likely winner for the right-side spot.

The halves

Mitchell Moses is out injured and Cameron Munster looks set to take back his No.6 jersey, leaving Tom Dearden and Sam Walker to battle for the halfback role.

Neither of them set the world on fire when playing against Fiji, only registering one try assist between them as the Aussies were described as “clunky” by recently retired Storm star Ryan Papenhuyzen.

Dearden struggled with the five-eighth role while Walker looked slightly better as the controlling half on the right side of the field.

“I thought they were good in patches, Sam had a pretty strong game and Tommy was the same,” Walters said.

“It was one of those games we just never got in full motion. I thought they both went well, I was happy with them.

“The halfback is a great situation to be in... with two very good players who are playing well.”

Walker is likely to revive his Origin combination with Munster this week.

Young gun playmaker Ethan Strange is also yet to make his Kangaroos debut and may get a crack at No.6 this week after he was promoted into the squad from his role as a shadow player after Moses was ruled out of the tournament. Strange could also come off the bench in a utility role to take advantage of tiring middle defences.

The forwards

The area Australia is seriously lacking in is the forward pack.

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The Kiwis, led by Naufahu Whyte and James Fisher-Harris, steamrolled the Kangaroos in week one, while they were again disappointing against Fiji.

“Australia got outmuscled by Fiji tonight,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said on Seven.

“They need to muscle up, they need to get a hell of a lot better.”

Lindsay Smith and Patrick Carrigan were the only forwards to crack 100 running metres against Fiji, while Isaah Yeo was solid against the Kiwis in week one before being rested for Sunday’s game.

Yeo will return against the Cook Islands and could line up at either lock or prop, while Carrigan should be moved from the bench to the starting side again this week.

David Fifita battled on the right edge in his Kangaroos debut and is likely to lose his spot, with Liam Martin and Jacob Preston to return as the starting backrowers.

The interesting decision will be at hooker, with Blayke Brailey solid in his national debut on Sunday to put pressure on Harry Grant for the No.9 jersey.

Grant’s experience in representative footy will likely get him the nod over Brailey.

Strongest Kangaroos team available

1. James Tedesco 2. Jack Bostock 3. Latrell Mitchell 4. Kotoni Staggs 5. Tom Trbojevic 6. Cameron Munster 7. Sam Walker 8. Patrick Carrigan 9. Harry Grant 10. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 11. Jacob Preston 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Ethan Strange 15. Cameron Murray 16. Lindsay Smith 17. Reuben Cotter 18. Tom Dearden 19. Reece Walsh