Young gun responds to Roosters rumours ahead of World Cup debut
Ethan Strange has opened up on his dash from a Thailand holiday to Kangaroos camp, as the young gun prepares for his international debut.
The 22-year-old will pull on the green and gold jersey for the first time on Saturday, but only came into Australian camp last week.
Ethan Strange will make his Kangaroos debut on Saturday. Getty Images
After being named as a shadow player for the Rugby League World Cup earlier this month, Strange was given the green-light to head overseas and enjoy some time off with his partner after a gruelling NRL season with Canberra.
But that has all changed since Mitchell Moses went down with injury and coach Kevin Walters looked to revamp the Aussie squad.
He was granted a few extra days of his trip while the Aussies took on Fiji, before Strange came back into camp ahead of the Cook Islands clash this week.
“I was in Phuket with my partner, we were having a nice little holiday when I found out,” he told media in Townsville on Wednesday.
“We booked it because my partner is from the Central Coast like me, and she’s been in Canberra working all year in the cold, so we thought we’d go for a nice holiday before I went back to pre-season. I got a nice surprise call early in the morning when we woke up over there, it was a nice surprise.
“He told me if I come back, that I would probably get a game, so I was pretty happy obviously. I’m a 22-year-old kid and getting told you’re probably gonna debut for Australia is really special. I was ecstatic.
“We got an overnight flight, slept most of it, woke up and came straight to camp.”
Strange told The Sydney Morning Herald there was no refund on his trip, but getting to represent his country meant more than any holiday.
While the five-eighth chose Australia, his older sister Jasmin made her debut for England in the women’s World Cup, while both were also eligible for New Zealand.
Asked if he considered representing another nation on the international stage, Strange gave an emphatic reply.
“I was born and raised here, Central Coast kid, I love the country and it’s dear to my heart – it was Australia or nothing,” he said.
“It means everything, 22-year-old kid playing for Australia, it’s pretty cool and not a lot of people get to do it.
“My dream was just to play NRL, I didn’t ever think I would end up here.”
Ethan Strange. Getty
While his focus is solely on his Kangaroos debut, Strange was quick to shut down rumours linking him to the Roosters amid the Sam Walker contract saga.
Despite being signed with Canberra until the end of 2028, Strange was dragged into discussions, with many linking him to Bondi due to his father John’s role as the NRLW coach and his sister playing for the powerhouse Tricolours outfit.
“I’m with the Raiders and I’m loving it with Ricky [Stuart], so I honestly have no idea what that’s all about ... I don’t even know where it’s come from,” he said.
Australia will meet Cook Islands in their final group stage game on Saturday, with the debuting Strange set to come off the bench in the No.14 jumper.
