Kangaroos reportedly name first 17 players in train on squad

The 17 are all from eliminated NRL teams.

EDITOR | September 7, 2023 - 12:51pm

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Australian Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga and his selectors have reportedly named the first 17 players of their train-on squad ahead of the end of season tri-series to be held against Samoa and New Zealand.

The final squad, which will feature 20 players, won't be named until after the NRL grand final, with a two-week gap between the showpiece game of the season and the first international, which will see Australia take on Samoa in Townsville.

The Kangaroos then have a week off, before playing the Kiwis in Melbourne, with the final of the series to be played across the Tasman in Hamilton on the first Saturday in November.

As Australia did last year ahead of their trip to England for the Rugby League World Cup, a train-on squad filled with players from eliminated NRL clubs will be named over the coming weeks, with News Corp reporting the first 17 players have been locked in.

The biggest surprises in the squad are centres Jake Averillo and Zac Lomax. It's believed Averillo is almost no chance of remaining in the squad given his knee injury, but Lomax, who was at one point dropped by former coach Anthony Griffin at the St George Illawarra Dragons earlier this year, has failed to hit consistency at his potential in the NRL.

Reece Robson, who made his Origin debut for the Blues this year, has also been named in the squad.

Origin players Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, Cameron Murray, Daly Cherry-Evans, Jake Trbojevic, Ben Hunt, Josh Addo-Carr, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Valentine Holmes, Reuben Cotter, Murray Taulagi and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow have all been included.

The other players in the 17-man group are Parramatta lock forward J'maine Hopgood and South Sydney centre Campbell Graham, although it's believed both Mitchell and Graham are in a race against the clock with fitness a question.

While it's not a guarantee of being selected, missing out on the squad is almost a certain non-selection, meaning Canterbury Bulldogs utility Matt Burton and South Sydney Rabbitohs hooker Damien Cook won't be considered for Australia's 20-man group to take on the tri-series.

It's believed the likes of Jarome Luai and Apisai Koroisau will play for Pacific Island nations, while the non-selection of Tino Fa'asuamaleaui could also mean he has elected to represent Samoa after playing for Australia at the World Cup last year.

Under International Rugby League rules, players may switch between a Tier 1 and Tier 2 nation every year, with Australia, New Zealand and England the only Tier 1 outfits.

Any Tongan players may also hold out for selection in that squad given the men in red will head to England for a three-Test series at the end of the NRL season. The series could have a devastating impact on New Zealand's squad, who are yet to name any players for the tri-series.

Coach Mal Meninga has previously indicated both Nathan Cleary and Daly Cherry-Evans will be included, while captain James Tedesco is also set to hang onto the number one jersey despite a poor season and State of Origin campaign by his own usual standards.