Billy Slater will miss Australia’s Rugby League World Cup semi-final against Fiji on Saturday due to a knee injury.
Slater, arguably the sport’s best in the number one shirt, sustained the injury early in the second-half of the 62-0 quarter-final thrashing of the United States.
Greg Inglis is now in line to take over from Slater at fullback, with veteran Brent Tate likely to be named at left centre.
There will again be some mixed emotions for Kangaroos winger Jarryd Hayne, who represented Fiji in the 2008 World Cup.
“I played them two weeks ago and it is very emotional,” said Hayne in reference to Australia’s 34-2 pool victory over the Bati.
“It is exciting for them and for me. It is great for them to have made it so far and I am pleased for them because I have got a lot of friends there.
“Fiji have been very solid with the way they have been playing and their structures. That first half against England was awesome, and but for a couple of rough calls they would have been in a better position.”
Hayne added that the Kangaroos had had a hard hit-up against the USA despite the one-sided score.
“The USA were tough,” he said. “Scorelines don’t always emulate the whole game and in that first half there was a time when they were attacking our line.
“If you look at our tries, they weren’t tries from their 20 metre line, they were from long range when we found a weakness in their defence.
“From a defensive point of view they were testing us and they came close a couple of times but it wasn’t to be. They definitely gave us a run for our money.”
Squad, with two to be dropped for match-day 17)
Australia: Greg Bird, Darius Boyd, Daly Cherry-Evans, Cooper Cronk, Robbie Farah, Andrew Fifita, Jarryd Hayne, Paul Gallen, Greg Inglis, Brett Morris, Nate Myles, Josh Papalii, Corey Parker, Matthew Scott, Cameron Smith (capt), James Tamou, Brent Tate, Sam Thaiday, Johnathan Thurston
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