The Rugby League club season is only a few weeks away from drawing to a close, and attention is slowly starting to turn towards the end of season Four Nations competition between Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and England.
The media tends to think you need to be wearing a Sydney Roosters jersey to be a certain starter for the Kangaroos, and yet, I’m looking at the players available and I wonder what game media type have been watching all their lives.
Then you have to throw in the fact that the Australian Rugby League is run by complete and utter morons. These people have spent the last few weeks trying to strip Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand of talent because…..well, I don’t know why, because we kinda of have a few decent footy players in Australia already.
With this all in mind, I had a look at the players available and thought, you know what, none of these players being talked about by the media or being lured by the ARL would get anywhere near my best lineup anyway.
So I decided to list my team. See what you think of this:
League Freaks Kangaroos Lineup
1. Billy Slater
2. Darius Boyd
3. Michael Jennings
4. Brent Tate
5. Brett Morris
6. Darren Lockyer
7. Jonathan Thurston
8. Petero Civoniceva
9. Cameron Smith
10. David Shillington
11. Sam Thaiday
12. Nate Myles
13. Luke Lewis
14. Cooper Cronk
15. Paul Gallen
16. David Taylor
17. Ben Hannant
The first thing that will jump out at you is that this side is dominated by Queenslanders, and rightfully so. You don’t win five straight State Of Origin series by being short on talent, and depth of talent.
Slater is no contest for the fullback role and I think Boyd and Morris pick themselves on the win. I was really impressed with Boyd during the Origin series while Morris looked brilliant during last years Four Nations, he belongs in this side.
The centers I thought were not all that hard to select either. The loss of Greg Inglis and Justin Hodges is a blow, however the talent is still there. The media is pushing Jamie Lyon for some reason, I think he’s had a decidedly average season. There is even talk of Mark Gasnier getting a run despite the fact Beau Scott and Matt Cooper have out played him in the centers for the Dragons!
Michael Jennings toured with Australia last year and played so well against France, he was pushing Justin Hodges for his place in the Test side. As for Brent Tate, I selected him ahead of Willie Tonga just for the fact that his form at rep level is always sensational. Tonga would make my Australian squad though.
The halves pick themselves. Scott Prince is unlucky, I wouldn’t have him in the squad because my cover, as a utility player and half, is Cooper Cronk.
I think the front row, once again, selects itself. Petero is a walk up start, as is Cameron Smith with David Shillington is just about the best prop in the game these days.
The back row give you a few options. I like the size and mobility Thaiday and Myles give you, with Luke Lewis locking the scrum and giving a bit of ball playing ability in the pack.
Off the bench, Cronk is the utility player, he can play in the halves or at hooker, while Gallen and Hannant give you a great forward rotation, as well as being able to play decent minutes, and Dave Taylor is just going to be a handful.
In the extended squad, I’d have Willie Tonga, Jarryd Hayne, Jamal Idris and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs.
Tonga give you depth at center and win. Hayne give you depth at wing and fullback. Idris I’d like to see get a run, he can play in the second row but I’d love to see him thrown into the centers against the Poms, they’d have no idea what to do. As for Learoyd-Lahrs, I think he is one of the up and coming forwards in the game and I’d like to see him get some international experience.
So there you go, and Australian side can be picked from, you know, actual Australian players.
Who knew!
