- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Mal Meninga has been heavily criticised over his selection of flying Fijian winger Semi Radradra to play for the Kangaroos against New Zealand at Hunter Stadium tomorrow week.
Fijian rugby league coach Mick Potter has led the knocker’s argument that the selection is denying Fiji a class act when the code should be expanding the game more generally.
What a blinkered negative attitude, giving no thought to how Kangaroo selection will benefit Radradra as a footballer and a man.
And that benefit will come from Mal Meninga, the man who has coach after his name in the Kangaroo squad.
He’s not a coach in my book, but a highly qualified communicator who has used that skill to mentor ten Queensland State of Origin series successes in 11 attempts.
Don’t take any notice of the brackets after Meninga’s support staff either.
Michael Hagan (Kangaroos manager), Adrian Lam (video analyst), Michael Croker (people culture welfare), and Troy Thomson (physical performance manager).
There’s a stack of proven rugby league nous in that quartet.
All Meninga has to do is use his communication skills to marry the nous and the strong playing ability in the 17-man squad to regain the world number one ranking from the Kiwis who have held the honour by winning the last three head-to-heads since October 2014 – 30-12, 22-18, and 26-12.
For the record, and realism, there are only three quality rugby league countries – New Zealand, Australia,and England, in that order.
Then comes Samoa (4), France (5), Ireland (6), Fiji (7), Wales (8), Scotland (9), with the USA rounding off the top 10.
And caught up in that regain top spot cauldron front and centre will be Semi Radradra.
The 23-year-old will learn more in six days being associated with Mal Meninga and the Kangaroos than he will in months playing for the Eels.
Why should Radradra, who has scored 53 tries in 57 games for the Eels, be denied that crash-course in priceless rugby league experience?
The Eels will benefit as well, making the selection good for everyone Radradra is associated with – and he is already one helluva footballer.
As for Fiji’s future, not having Radradra won’t make any difference,
If he plays for another seven seasons for the Eels, barring injury, Fiji won’t play many internationals. But Radradra’s standing as a footballer and as a man will blossom under Meninga during that period.
I’ve had a lot to do with Fijian rugby over the years, having been born in Suva where my parents Broughton and Joan were with the Bank of NSW for three years.
Fijians are the most likeable people, along with being the most explosive footballers on the planet.
They are excellent in sevens rugby, but there are question marks over their side in the longer forms of the game.
Let’s stop the selection rubbishing of a superb footballer and let him strut his stuff at Hunter Stadium.
He has earned the right, and Mal has given him the chance.
The rest is up to Semi, but we already know the answer.