The Kangaroos’ Four Nations battle heats up this weekend. Successive victories over fellow competition heavyweights will guarantee a rare appearance at the prestigious Anfield.
Having fielded a mostly second-string line-up for the series opener, Mal Meninga’s finest are sure to see out the remainder of the tournament.
Predicting a line-up before the coach’s announcement is pub talk one-upmanship, but when it comes to Australia’s current backline I reckon the cards were sprawled across the table long before Glaswegians recognised their own at Hull last weekend.
Halves
James Maloney is in career-best form but there’s more chance of an Aussie horse taking out the Melbourne Cup than Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk being ousted from the Kangaroos.
Having guided Queensland to six series victories from the last seven and paired against the Kiwis twice this year, the rest of the game-day squad will be selected around this pair.
Fullback
Not much to argue down back either – Darius Boyd will be the fullback.
In days gone by, teammates would’ve call Matt Moylan an Emu. The fact he was chosen to play Scotland confirms the Broncos’ custodian will add a third Test against New Zealand this year hot on the heels of covering Billy Slater in Origin.
With 120 club games at fullback, Josh Dugan is the second most experienced fullback in the squad. But these days he’s a confused centre and then there’s Blake Ferguson; whose efforts at the back for the Roosters have been even more befuddling.
| Name | Wing | Centre | Fullback | Halves |
| NRL G/Tries | NRL G/Tries | NRL G/Tries | NRL G/Tries | |
| Darius Boyd | 37/20 | 21/6 | 189/47 | – |
| Josh Dugan | – | 14/9 | 120/41 | 3/1 |
| Blake Ferguson | 71/29 | 61/38 | 11/6 | – |
| Greg Inglis | 3/2 | 73/45 | 112/63 | 53/28 |
| Valentine Holmes | 53/36 | – | 4/2 | – |
| James Maloney | – | – | – | 183/54 |
| Josh Mansour | 84/48 | 2/0 | 1/0 | – |
| Michael Morgan | – | – | 27/10 | 74/32 |
| Matt Moylan | – | – | 71/18 | – |
| Justin O’Neill | 46/28 | 69/30 | 3/2 | – |
Centres
With Darius Boyd at the back, Greg Inglis is the automatic left-centre.
Right centre is the most contentious backline spot up for grabs. Dugan starved Paul McGregor’s wingers this season and with jets on the Australian flanks, Meninga will opt for creativity over power at Coventry.
This leaves Justin O’Neill and Ferguson in a head-to-head battle.Late night antics aside, both share a similar career path having served lengthy wing apprenticeships.
Ferguson has played wing in all three Tests this season and his four Origin matches all started along the chalk.
O’Neill wins this battle, thanks to runs alongside Thurston and Cronk in all three 2016 Origins. With time paramount and proven combinations on the books, Meninga will be reluctant to stray from the pack.
Wingers
Back in Meninga’s day Australian wingers were some of the game’s best centres. The likes of Michael O’Connor and Andrew Ettingshausen offered much more than traditional linesman chat.
Fast forward and today’s powerhouses are critical at both ends of the park and it’s why Valentine Holmes and Josh Mansour were walk up starts until this morning’s knee injury ended the Panther’s campaign. Both had outstanding finals series in attack and placed their sides on the front foot with damaging kick returns.
Ferguson would have been dirty at missing out for the first time this year but today’s hiccup will once again see the Rooster cover for Mansour just as he did in Perth last month.
Bench
From a squad of 12 backs we are left with four, with another three to miss the cut given Meninga’s preference to play three forwards off the bench.
Moylan will be among the favourites but bench specialist Michael Morgan will get the nod.
All 71 Moylan NRL appearances have been from fullback. Touted as a five-eighth in the making, Laurie Daley used the Panther in the halves this year but once again Meninga will tread the experienced route.
The Cowboys five-eighth cracked the NRL with more than a season at fullback before joining Thurston in the halves. The Maroons have played him off the bench in five Origins ahead of Daly Cherry-Evans and he’s fulfilled the role for the Kangaroos in every contest this year.
Nothing in league is guaranteed but the Australian backline for this week’s Kiwi clash should read; Boyd, Ferguson, Inglis, O’Neill, Holmes, Thurston, Cronk.
And while first dibs are crucial, the three desperates itching in the wings won’t be bothered by a few more bumps on the road to Anfield.
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