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Mal Meninga has confirmed that Selwyn Cobbo is well in his thinking for the Kangaroos’ Rugby League World Cup squad after the winger’s impressive performance in the PM’s XIII win over Papua New Guinea.
The Kumuls were swatted aside after an early blitz and a late charge – though they did have good periods in the middle – but the talk immediately switched to the Broncos winger, who scored twice and topped the metre chart while playing in the centres.
It’s a problem position for Australia: Josh Addo-Carr missed Origin entirely but, on the basis of his performance tonight, is a walk up.
Of the Origin wingers, Daniel Tupou has declared for Tonga, Xavier Coates will almost certainly play for PNG – though he missed tonight’s game – and Brian To’o is playing for Samoa.
Of the back-ups, Joseph Suaallii is joining To’o in blue and white, with Murray Taulagi also said to be favouriting his heritage. That opens a huge door for Cobbo, who was superb to start the year but tailed off badly after Origin.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
“He’s considered, absolutely,” said Meninga after the game, while also confirming that he played Cobbo out of position to test his versatility.
“He played left side as well, and it’s a bit more natural on that side. He plays on the right at the Broncos because you have Corey Oates on the left.
“But it shows how adaptable he is, he can play right and left, centre and wing and fullback. That’s the type of player you want in your squad going overseas in a World Cup.
“We’ll pick the side next Monday after the Grand Final. We’ve got a whole heap of players playing in that game.”
The score was basically irrelevant given the occasion, though it allowed several to get rep honours for Australia and others, notably Ben Hunt and Daly Cherry-Evans, to stake their case for the World Cup squad.
Hunt produced a trademark 40/20 and ran the game from dummy half, while DCE was playing in the proverbial suit jacket for most of the evening. Of the fringe contenders, Addo-Carr and Matt Burton likely also did enough, as did Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.
It isn’t that any of that trio were in doubt, but any lingering worries there might have been around time off and form, having been reduced to watching on due to the NRL finals, were dashed.
“With the senior guys – Hunt, Chez, Tino, Angus Crichton – they all played really well and got what they needed to get out of the game with a bit of match fitness,” said Meninga.
“I’m very pleased with the way the players handled it. We knew it was going to be a physical affair. I’m happy with the outcome, we played some good footy and had to tough it out at times, particularly in the early parts of the second half.
“For me personally, it’s been a while. It’s been a good way for us to kick off our World Cup campaign.”
It has been a shade over 1000 days, but finally, a team in green and gold representing Australia has taken to the field in the sport of rugby league.
Yes, this wasn’t the Kangaroos; or at least not the proper version. Anyone left in the finals was missing, obviously, plus a fair whack of talent that might have been on deck. Of the eliminated finalists, only the Roosters contingent played.
It wasn’t the proper version of PNG, either. They were shorn of their NRL and Super League talent and most of their domestic Digicel Cup players were at home, with their Grand Final played yesterday.
It was essentially a QCup select, except for the two Grand Finalists, who played yesterday.
But the PM’s XIII game looked and felt, if you squinted, like international footy. After three years, it’s something of a milestone, even if it was Australia’s fifths against PNG’s seconds.
“We didn’t start the way we wanted to,” said Kumuls coach Stanley Tepend. “I think for some of our new guys, the occasion really got to them. But once we settled in, especially in that second half, we fought back well.
“We didn’t have much ball in the first half when they got the jump on us. We spoke about their kicking game and the football awareness stuff they would do against us, but once we got in the groove we stabilised pretty well.
“We have a lot of Queensland Cup players who were out of the finals so it was good to give them a run and there’s a lot of young guys too. Hopefully, when we announce the World Cup squad going forward, it’ll be a good mix with our NRL and UK players.”
Meninga might wonder about an extended period in which the Kumuls were the better team, especially either side of the break.
Alongside their NRL talent, they missed Lachlan Lam, their five-eighth, and back-rower Rhyse Martin, who played for Leeds in their losing Super League Grand Final this morning.
It all comes with the context that Australia were a long way up when the PNG fightback came. For a lot of the first half, they outpaced the clock with their tries.
DCE prised the defence open for Nat Butcher after just 90 seconds, before Matt Burton and Addo-Carr renewed their relationship from the Bulldogs.
38-0 did not flatter the PM’s XIII at this point. Yet the Kumuls are sturdy and constantly up for the fight. They kept throwing hits in defence and, though less sparkling in attack, the enthusiasm couldn’t be faulted.
The reward came as Kyle Laybutt, a stalwart for PNG, found Edene Gebbie, their best of the night, with a long, searching pass that exposed Addo-Carr’s tendency to get stuck between the ball and his winger.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
After half-time, Jimmy Ngutlik touched down a Keven Appo kick for another; then, on the other wing, Brandon Nima did the same after Judah Rimbu had dabbed through.
The Kumuls’ chance to win the second half took a backwards step when Burton got his second, followed by a first for Sam Walker.
Daine Laurie ended the dream after smart play from Beau Fermor, before returning the favour moments later for the Titans back-rower.
Cobbo finished the scoring late on – though Addo-Carr could have extended it from a comedy sideline conversion.
We are well underway with our Rugby League World Cup podcast, World Cup Chasers, featuring two of our experts, Mike Meehall Wood and Mary Konstantopoulous, as well as Michael Carbone from Chasing Kangaroos, the leading podcast covering international footy.