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There may be no international footy this year but that doesn’t mean we can’t honour what could have been the team of superstars to pull on an Australian jumper.
Every year Australian coach Mal Meninga and selectors Darren Lockyer and Laurie Daley pick their Kangaroos Merit Team.
So Foxsports.com.au has jumped ahead to name a predicted squad — and there’s a couple of surprises this year.
The 2020 team was selected based on State of Origin performances, given the series was played at the end of the season. But we’ve taken into account form over the entire 2021 season.
There’s two rules we’ve implemented though just to make things a little different: a player must be assumed free of injury if an international game were to be played this weekend and not have a suspension hanging over their head, which rules out quite a few players.
Read on for Foxsports.com.au’s predicted 2021 Kangaroos Merit Team.
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FULLBACK
Contenders: With so many world class No.1s on offer, it really was the year of the fullback. The incumbent Kangaroos fullback, James Tedesco is under the most threat since he first made his debut for Australia in 2018. Although the 28-year-old had a brilliant season taking over the Roosters’ captaincy and leading New South Wales to an Origin series win, he was dethroned as the best fullback in the game. Manly superstar Tom Trbojevic had arguably one of the best individual seasons the modern era has seen and was rightfully named Dally M Player of the Year and the Rugby League Players Association Player of the Year. Also in the mix are Storm speedster Ryan Papenhuyzen and if you really want to go on form, his understudy Nicho Hynes deserves a mention too after a breakout season while filling in for the injured Papenhuyzen. You’ve also got the likes of Kalyn Ponga, AJ Brimson and even Reece Walsh, who all had outstanding moments this season.
Verdict: Tom Trbojevic. The hardest call to make on this team is to overlook Tedesco given he basically put the injury-riddled Roosters on his back and carried them as far as the semi-finals, but if anyone was ever going to push him out of the No.1 jersey it’s 2021 Turbo, who has earned the right to be picked in his preferred position this time round.
WING
Contenders: Another position that Meninga is spoiled for choice in. There’s last year’s Merit Team wingers Josh Addo-Carr and Daniel Tupou who of course should be in the conversation given their consistency over several seasons. But we’ve got some new faces in the mix. Manly’s Reuben Garrick made the Dally M Team of the Year after a breakout season and South Sydney’s Alex Johnston finished the season as top tryscorer. Panthers workhorse and now premiership-winner, Brian To’o was the form winger of the competition and made his State of Origin debut earlier this year, but here’s where it gets a little tricky. He has previously indicated he’d like to represent Samoa, however Meninga said in September he’d like to have a chat with To’o to try and swing him to Australia. For now, we’ll have to rule him out of contention until he declares his allegiance to Australia.
Verdict:Reuben Garrick and Josh Addo-Carr. If Meninga can convince To’o to play for the Kangaroos, he’d definitely get the nod, but if not, we can’t go past Garrick. Meninga picked the Manly winger in his World Cup 9s team in 2019 and Garrick has improved tenfold since then so no doubt he’d be right up there this year. It really could have gone either way between Addo-Carr and Johnston, but we suspect Meninga will stick solid with the Storm flyer.
CENTRE
Contenders: If we had to predict 20 things to happen this season, Matt Burton being named in the Dally M Team of the Year — at centre — would not have been one of them. But such is the unpredictability of this great game. Burton started the year in reserve grade, playing his preferred position of five-eighth and finished it as one of the game’s best centres and scoring the opening try in the NRL Grand Final. What a journey the 21-year-old has had and his rapid rise is exactly why he should be in the mix for the Kangaroos Merit Team. Also vying for a jersey are last year’s centres, Jack Wighton and Dane Gagai, while Gagai’s Bunnies teammate Campbell Graham is really starting to shine. Latrell Mitchell would have also been pushing for selection but suspension rules him out, while Trbojevic played in the centres for NSW this year but after the season he had, he deserves to be picked in his rightful position.
Verdict:Matt Burton and Dane Gagai. With Mitchell ruled out and Trbojevic picked at fullback, the door is wide open for Burton to cap a truly remarkable year with a Kangaroos selection. Gagai may have been overshadowed by some of his superstar Rabbitohs teammates this season but the 30-year-old had a better season than Wighton so nails down the other spot. We haven’t seen Tedesco line up in the centres before but perhaps that’s a way to keep him in the starting 13.
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FIVE-EIGHTH
Contenders: There’s a bit of confusion around Jarome Luai’s availability. He’s played five games for Samoa and earlier this year indicated that his allegiance lies with the tier-two nation. However, the Panthers and NSW Origin five-eighth said in July that he hadn’t said ‘no’ to the Kangaroos yet and would love to chat to Meninga. But given his previous games for Samoa and the fact he hasn’t declared his allegiance to Australia, we’ll rule him out to keep things simple. Melbourne’s Cameron Munster is out of contention too after copping a one-match ban for the white powder drama and then there’s South Sydney’s Cody Walker, who was named the Dally M five-eighth of the year.
Verdict: Cody Walker. Even if Luai and Munster were available we’d still give the nod to Walker becauseit’s impossible to ignore the Bunnies star’s 2021 season. Let’s forget about that cruel moment in the grand final when his pass was intercepted and remember that the 31-year-old finished third on the Dally M leaderboard after a season where he led the competition in try assists and linebreak assists.
HALFBACK
Contenders: It’s a two-horse race between Penrith’s Nathan Cleary and Manly’s Daly Cherry-Evans. The NSW and Queensland halfbacks both had successful seasons and were in the top five for the Dally M Medal. Cleary edged out Cherry-Evans to claim the Kangaroos’ No.7 jersey in last year’s official Merit Team.
Verdict: And he retains it. Nathan Cleary had the best season of his career which included an Origin series win, a premiership and the Clive Churchill Medal. He also finished as runner up to Trbojevic for the Dally M so the 23-year-old is well-deserving of his spot. The Panthers halfback is carrying a shoulder injury that requires off-season surgery but considering he played last weekend’s grand final we’ll deem him fit to play in this predicted line-up, however in the real-world scenario his availability would be in the hands of the Panthers’ medical team.
PROP
Contenders: NSW enforcers Daniel Saifiti and Payne Haas as well as Queensland stars Christian Welch and Josh Papalii are all in the mix. Saifiti was an absolute powerhouse for the Blues and the Knights, and earlier this year expressed his desire to play for Australia, rather than Fiji. Welch has come leaps and bounds in the last couple of seasons and earned a selection in the 2020 Merit Team, while Haas already has made his debut for Australia, pulling on the jersey after his rookie season in 2019. But what will cost Haas a selection is the ankle injury he suffered in Round 25 with the Broncos prop not expected to return to the training paddock until December. As for Papalii, he’s played 11 games for Australia, but also four for Samoa. He was picked in last year’s Merit Team but told Foxsports.com.au in May that he “100 per cent would” return for Samoa over Australia and that one of his goals is to “get a really strong squad for the next World Cup”. For consistency, that rules him out of contention for this Merit Team. Daniel’s brother Jacob also deserves a mention with the fellow Knights enforcer stepping up when injuries and suspension hit the squad. He also was named Newcastle’s Player of the Year. And Parramatta’s Reagan Campbell-Gillard rediscovered his mojo this year, but his teammate Junior Paulo, despite playing for NSW, has also starred in nine games for Samoa.
Verdict: Daniel Saifiti and Christian Welch. Knights co-captain Saifiti has really established himself as one of the best and most consistent props in the game, yet he still somehow seems to slip under the radar. He was inspirational for the Blues in this year’s Origin series and could assume the role of the leader of Australia’s pack. Meanwhile, Welch, much like Saifiti, is reliable and isn’t afraid to put his body on the line. His sneaky offload is also quite handy.
HOOKER
Contenders: With Cameron Smith now watching on from the sidelines, if there was ever a time for a hooker to stamp their dominance on the competition it’s now.It just so happens that this year’s form hooker of the competition is a New Zealand international. Last year’s Merit Team’s No.9 Damien Cook is once again in the mix and Melbourne’s Harry Grant is probably his biggest competitor — but the Storm dummy half has a crusher tackle ban hanging over his head. If Reed Mahoney hadn’t suffered a season-ending shoulder injury he could have pushed for selection too.
Verdict: Damien Cook. The Bunnies dummy half is tried and tested. Although he didn’t have his most dominant season, Cook is still delivered for his team and NSW when it mattered most.
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SECOND ROW
Contenders: There’s quite a few elite second-rowers to choose from and with former Kangaroos skipper Boyd Cordner now retired that leaves two spots up for grabs. The $1.2 million Titan, David Fifita is the most dangerous player in the competition when he’s on,while Angus Crichton stepped up his game this year for the Roosters in the absence of Cordner. Bunnies star Cameron Murray is technically a lock but played in the second row for NSW, while club teammate Jai Arrow is also more of a No.13 but can play on an edge. There’s also underrated Panthers and Queensland workhorse Kurt Capewell who gets better every year and a member of 2020’s Merit Team, Felise Kaufusi.
Verdict: Cameron Murray and Angus Crichton. Spoiler alert, the No.13 jersey is reserved for someone else, but Murray needs to be in the starting line-up so he gets picked on an edge. The other spot is a tough one to pick but because Fifita can be a wrecking ball off the bench we’ve gone with Crichton. But it would be easy to argue a case for Capewell too.
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LOCK
Contenders: One of those positions where you could make a case for every contender. Isaah Yeo has a seriously impressive resume that includes Panthers co-captain, NSW Origin lock and back-to-back Dally M Lock of the Year. Cameron Murray, as always, was outstanding for the Rabbitohs this year, but we’ve already picked him in the second row. Dale Finucane is one of Craig Bellamy’s all-time favourite players, which speaks volumes, Jake Trbojevic is the guy that does all the hard work that goes unnoticed by many — but not his teammates — and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui was picked on the bench in last year’s Merit Team and we know Meninga is a big fan. There’s also Roosters star Victor Radley.
Verdict: Isaah Yeo. If his resume wasn’t impressive enough, Yeo is basically a halfback in a forward’s body. The star lock was instrumental in Penrith’s success this year, acting as a linkman for the halves. He can tackle, he can ball-play and he’s also the type of character you want in your team.
INTERCHANGE
Verdict: Picking from the unlucky stars to miss out on a spot in the start 13 we’ve gotJamesTedesco, Dale Finucane, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and David Fifita. The bench utility spot is something different for Tedesco but with the speed of a fullback and the skill of a half he could come on in a roaming role. Also, if Ryan Papenhuyzen could start his NRL career in the middle then the Roosters and NSW skipper absolutely can do it. Fifita is that electric x-factor off the bench, while Finucane, used as a prop is your reliable forward that rolls up his sleeves and gets through a mountain of work. Fa’asuamaleaui’s versatility and incumbency just edges him out over Campbell-Gillard.
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