Ahead of the 2024 Pacific Championships, ex-Australian Kangaroos skipper Paul Gallen has predicted the team that Mal Meninga should name.
The Kangaroos will be out for vengeance at the end of the year after suffering a humiliating 30-0 defeat to the New Zealand Kiwis in last year's Final.
In naming the team that he would run with on 100% Footy, Gallen has decided to make six changes that made last year's Final. This has seen him axe James Tedesco, Kotoni Staggs, Daly Cherry-Evans, Jake Trbojevic, Nicho Hynes and Thomas Flegler - the latter will be unavailable due to injury.
"I've gone Dylan Edwards (at fullback) just in front of Kalyn Ponga because you just know what you're going to get from this bloke," he said.
"I've gone for Carrigan in the front row because you can't leave Isaah Yeo out, and I think Carrigan is probably the best middle forward in the game at the moment.
"That's based on guys like Stephen Crichton (and) Spencer Leniu will play for Samoa, which I think they will."
1. Dylan Edwards (Penrith Panthers)
2. Selwyn Cobbo (Brisbane Broncos)
3. Valentine Holmes (North Queensland Cowboys)
4. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (The Dolphins)
5. Zac Lomax (St George Illawarra Dragons)
6. Cameron Munster (Melbourne Storm)
7. Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers)
8. Payne Haas (Brisbane Broncos)*
9. Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm)
10. Patrick Carrigan (Brisbane Broncos)
11. Liam Martin (Penrith Panthers)
12. Angus Crichton (Sydney Roosters)
13. Isaah Yeo (Penrith Panthers)
Interchange:
14. Ben Hunt (St George Illawarra Dragons)
15. Reuben Cotter (North Queensland Cowboys)
16. Cameron Murray (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
17. Lindsay Collins (Sydney Roosters)
*Payne Haas has since been ruled out due to injury