They’re back, baby. Australia made a triumphant return to international rugby league with a win over Fiji that had a bit of everything: they got a shock, with Fiji opening the scoring, took a few knocks, including a very nasty one for Reuben Cotter, but in the end, had too much and ran out 42-8 victors.
The healthy Leeds crowd went home happy, the Fijians showed plenty and the Aussies got their win, plus 80 minutes, plus a few nice stories to boot.
The Roar was there for it all, and here’s our tops and flops – name still pending – from a chilly, fulfilling night in Leeds.
Top – Josh Addo-Carr (and all the Kangaroos)
Professional sport is often a heartless business, but would be hard not to feel a flush of sentimentality watching Josh Addo-Carr perform so well in a Kangaroos jersey after being spectacularly dumped by NSW for Origin.
Two tries, a key hand in another and top of the metres count was enough to display that Addo-Carr is born for this level of footy.
The redemption arc is obvious – and we chatted to him in the sheds all about it – so let’s instead talk about the other side of the story.
The World Cup is meant to be the best players on the biggest stage, and for the crowd in Leeds who turned up to watch the Kangaroos, they got to see one of the great sights of the game, a flying Foxx, slicing through Fijians for one of the tries of the year.
(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images for RLWC)
These things matter. As a child in the north of England, the semi-annual visits from Andrew Johns, Darren Lockyer, Allan Langer and Fittler were formative in building a love for rugby league, especially the international game.
The Kangaroos are ambassadors. They should be our All Blacks, the benchmark of the sport.
The players stayed long afterwards on the field, signing jumpers and taking selfies, infuriating the media pack as we waited for the pressers to start. But that’s their job: they are what the people came to see and they were worth every penny.
Flop – Daly Cherry-Evans (well, sort of…)
If this was the big audition, it’s hard to say that Daly Cherry-Evans passed it. Granted, a man with 300+ first grade games and the most caps of any current Kangaroo probably doesn’t need to audition for anything, but it was hard not to compare his performance to one that Nathan Cleary might have put in.
Cherry-Evans was alright, I suppose, in directing a team about and kicking competently. There wasn’t a call for much more, especially when you have Cameron Munster in top form and Harry Grant running the game from dummy half.
James Tedesco was also quiet, and if there was a great competition for the 1 jersey, you’d probably also say he didn’t set the heather alight. There isn’t, so we won’t, but there is in the halfback role, so we will.
C’est la vie for DCE, who will lose his spot next week to let Cleary have a go, and will likely watch on as the Panthers half – on international debut, no less – runs rings around the Scots.
We won’t learn anything serious until the semi-finals but based on tonight, it’s Nathan’s place to lose.
Top – Harry Grant (your real man of the match)
When you have a thousand good players, sometimes you take them for granted. Harry Granted. You see what I’m trying to do here.
It’s worth mentioning because Australia really only need one or two guys to show up, because those guys will be really good and, most of the time, that’ll be plenty enough to win.
DCE was quiet, so was Tedesco, Cam Murray and Ben Hunt were just fine and Latrell Mitchell, though he scored, was well contained for long periods.
Cam Munster got man of the match in the stadium – presumably they drove Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles down from Newcastle after Victor Radley was given the gong there ahead of Jack Welsby, Dom Young, George Williams and Kallum Watkins.
It was Harry Grant who got the consensus vote from the watching media after his stellar showing, turning a game that threatened to get a little stodgy into a cakewalk.
Of course, this is the plan. Hunt controls the flow early, kicks when needed and keeps it tight before Grant comes on to unleash hell from dummy half.
In an age where the acting half scoot is increasingly out of vogue – go look at the stats for it over time – Grant remains the best exponent, manipulating markers and picking his moment to go.
Hunt ran just once in his hour on the field, whereas Grant managed five, and averaged over 10m on his darts. His 40/20 was superb and yielded a much-deserved try.
Flop – The ARLC (and their social media team)
A major downside was just how little of this kind of thing that we have seen over the last few years. I’m not copping the Covid excuse: the Wallabies, who last time I checked are also based in Australia, have played a lot in that time and they don’t have the luxury of having entire nation’s worth of other sides living in their country.
Nights like Saturday proved why international footy is so important and why the Kangaroos are the most important part of it.
The role of good global citizen is not one that the ARLC seems interested in playing, from their inactivity at the highest level to their disdain for everyone else’s rules surrounding numbers, but even the most myopic administrator must be able to see the value in this product.
It’s nice that they were in attendance to catch it after the two-day governing body meeting in Newcastle held late last week. Less impressive if you were back in Australia, where the Kangaroos’ social media account lay silent for hours despite them playing a game.
If the flagbears of the sport play a game and there’s nobody there to tweet about it, does it make a sound?
Top – Fiji (in spite of the stadium DJ)
Fiji have been through an awful lot, and that’s just in the last week. Injuries, to both players and their coach, laid them low ahead of a game that they would have stood little chance in at the best of times.
They lost a warm-up 50-0 to England, though after the Samoa slaying yesterday, perhaps that was actually a good result. We didn’t do tops and flops the first game, but it goes without saying that it was a mega flop for Samoa.
From the moment the Bati took to the field, sang their hymn – there will never be a time where that doesn’t make the hairs stand on end – and took the kickoff, they were everything they should be and more.
Committed, tough, physical – and not a little creative, too. Australia defended superbly and Fiji chucked plenty at them.
In the Pacific Test, their halves pairing was a winger, Kevin Naiqama, at five eighth and Netane Masima, who had recently played for Narellan Jets in Group 1 country footy, at halfback.
This time around, Siti Moceidreke, a career playmaker now with London Broncos in England’s second tier, was in the 6 with Brandon Wakeham in the 7. It made the world of difference. Though they lost comfortably in the end, there was plenty to build on.
At the end of the game, when they kneeled and sang with their Kangaroos combatants, it was again a moment to give you goosebumps.
Or, at least, it would have been, had the local organisers not decided to blast Annie Lennox over the top of it. Note to anyone who hosts Fiji in the coming weeks: turn off the music at the end.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I think the conditions weren’t great. I’ve never seen so many players drop the ball as they were getting up to play it Koroisau dropped one cold looking to run out of dummy half. I don’t think DCE was the Lone Ranger there…
Heyou
Roar Rookie
Isn’t it all entirely marvellous? It’s different, it’s unusual, it’s nice. Thanks for your great reporting Mr Mike Meehan Wood. Young Harry had a blinder and DCE has almost reached the ‘best before’ date in the representative arena but I’m still glad he got a run. So far I’m liking the prevalent clean, fast ruck play. And all the anthems and the loud and enthusiastic spectators. Nothing is getting done around here. The house is a mess, the fence is still falling down and the lawn is all wavy tall grass and mean prickly thistles and bindies galore. It ain’t going anywhere except up. It can wait. Reckon I need a few sheep.
Short Memory
Roar Rookie
DE did make a noticeable number of unforced errors. At this level against that opposition it might not be a flop, but it's not just underplaying your hand or having a quiet game either.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Nice Wal. It's a pretty incredible list of achievements for DCE. All for a guy who was told that he'd never make it in the NRL as it was Kieran Foran who made him look good at Toyota Cup level. And still to this day he gets told that he simply isn't good enough, or is undeserving of selection, despite evidence to the contrary. Well done that man.
Phil
Roar Rookie
Geez Wal, that's an impressive list for DCE. Let's hope our mate Joey, the poster above you, has a good look at it.
Rob
Guest
To be honest I think Cleary is the first choice half over DCE. In saying that I’d personally take Hynes and Reynolds above DCE on this seasons form. That’s despite my large Queenslander chip. DCE was solid against Fiji as usual. He was solid in Origin as well. Going back in history I do remember Stuart jumping over Alfie on the back of Origin results and the supposed familiarity of Daley and Steve Walters. Kevin Walters was not believed to have a strong enough game despite winning 6 premierships and couldn’t get ahead of Daley even if his brother was at hooker and Alfie was at 7 at times. Origin and winning combinations count.
EagleWal
Roar Rookie
I would love to flop like DCE: Honours Individual Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Ken Arthurson Rookie of The Year: 2011 Dally M Rookie of The Year: 2011 RLIF Halfback of The Year: 2011, 2013 RLPA Rookie of The Year: 2011 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Gordon Willoughby Medal - Members Player of The Year: 2013, 2018, 2020 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Players' Player: 2013 Clive Churchill Medal: 2013 Dally M Halfback of The Year: 2014 Spirit of ANZAC Medal: 2015 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Roy Bull Best and Fairest: 2017, 2020 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Captain: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Steve Menzies Medal - Play of the Year: 2019 (Game-winning field goal in golden point win over Melbourne Storm Rd19) Queensland Maroons Captain: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 Australia Kangaroos Vice-Captain: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 Club 2011 NRL Grand Final Winners 2012 World Club Challenge Runner-up 2013 NRL Grand Final Runner-up Representative 2013 State of Origin series Winners 2013 World Cup Winners 2014 Four Nations Runner-up 2015 State of Origin series Winners 2020 State of Origin series Winners 2022 State of Origin series Winners
Griffo 09
Roar Rookie
Samoa...
Joey
Guest
100% agree that DCE is a flop. He's one of the biggest flops in Rugby League history.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
'Cherry, Grant and Munster have it all over Cleary at Origin level. ' This is the fundamental posit, clearly wrong. You can add 'ifs and buts' to softly redirect the narrative if you like..
Rellum
Roar Guru
Media are having a field day with this halfback speculation Yes they are, maybe to the teams detriment, not that they care.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Cleary was on a team that was massive favourites every series and DCE was not.
Albo
Roar Rookie
And Cleary has won two premierships and had another grand final appearance in the last 3 years. He won't be out place in the Australian team. Nor would DCE. The Australian team just needs to follow a solid game plan that maximises the talents of the team , not fight each other over who should be running the show out there. As it is now , the Australian team has plenty of controlling options out there with Hunt , Grant, Munster, DCE , Teddy , Cleary & Latrelle all liking to run the show out on the park. This can be a danger with too many good cooks , etc.
KenW
Roar Rookie
I really don't understand why Meninga has played such a game with this. DCE is 33, likely on his last tour and just as likely the 2nd choice halfback - why ensure that such a microscope is on him? Surely he doesn't think either Cleary or DCE needs the tension to play well? He should have stated his position before they left and just let everyone get on with it.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Cherry has 47% win rate, same as Munster in Origin. Harry’s only played 5, lost 2 of them. Cleary is at 54% win. So, not sure about ‘having it all over him.’ I don’t think it matters much to the result, either.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Spot on Cam. It’s a nice headache to have with 2 quality halfbacks at our disposal. And over the years we have always been blessed with a few, whereas some/most countries battle to find one. Australia should put 80 on Scotland so we will learn nothing from the game. But I think Cleary deserves his shot in the finals. With DCE a more than able back-up.
Cam
Roar Rookie
It will be tough to draw a form comparison with the Kangaroos next match. With Italy putting a score on the Scots, what would be an acceptable total for the Kangaroos? 70? 80? 100? Cleary might bag himself 40+ personal points, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think he could 3 tries & 15 goals against Scotland, but does that carry more weight than DCE's winning performance in SOO? They aren't inventing the wheel here, there has always been plenty of conjecture with the 7 on Kangaroo tours. In 84 it was Mark Murray and Steve Mortimer, 86 it was Sterling and Alexander, in 90 and 94 it was Langer and Ricky Stuart.
Badseed
Roar Rookie
To be fair to Cherry he was perfect in his role against Fiji, keeping it simple while Munster and Grant ran the show. Will they be content to take a backseat with Cleary running the show? At a time when NSW and Australia had Johns, Fittler and Noddy in the same team they looked all at sea. No one seemed sure who was directing the team. I believe adding Cleary to the mix would have a similar effect. Cherry, Grant and Munster have it all over Cleary at Origin level. Don’t worry Nathan will get his day in the future.
EagleWal
Roar Rookie
100% agree. DCE did his job, Cleary is the better option but that doesn't make DCE bad. How anyone saw Munster as better than Grant is well beyond my obvious lack of league knowledge....
The Barry
Roar Guru
I can’t agree that DCE was a flop. He was fine. In a game like that not every player is going to be a 10/10. A few players are getting bagged for overplaying their hand. DCE copping it for under playing his and letting the stars either side of him shine I prefer Cleary in the 7 too, but if he goes down injured, Australia wont miss a beat with DCE at halfback for the rest of the tournament Media are having a field day with this halfback speculation. Maybe Meninga is trying to keep a bit of competitive tension in the squad. Hopefully it doesn’t backfire