ARL: Kangaroo Train-On Squad

[PARANoIR]

I'd be interested to know how Jarrdy Hayne can get selected ahead of Tongue.

[Darren Lockyer]

I'd be interested to know how Jarrdy Hayne can get selected ahead of Tongue.

me to actually
maybe they do't have enough wingers?

[Social Loafer]

How Tongue could miss out is beyond me - The Raider Army will be livid!

Oh don't worry, I'm sure we'll come up with a chant for next year to hihglight this farce..

Not surprised at all, fact is Canberra players seem to always be overlooked, Mogg was a shock selection, but Schif should have been there for game 1,2 & 3, he only got selected because there were no options left.

As for Tonguey, the poor bloke got overlooked for country Origin... Sad thing is, if Tonguey played for a "Big club" he would have been selected and would have probably been the bloody captain....

Watch out next year, Captain Tonguey ( Well I think it's a sure thing) will again tackle his heart out every week...

I think another problem is that the perception of the Raiders is that we play boring footy and don't score many points, when you look at the table after 26 rounds, we actually scored more points then "glamour" sides like Brisbane and St George....

p.s- You could chuck Tonguey on the wing and he wouldn't let anyone down, 12 tries for the year ain't a bad effort

[zacaroo]

tongue is the best backrower in the game in my opinion, they have to start choosing him..

[DeeGan]

Can someone post who has been added to the squad from the Newcastle and Manly teams?

[DeeGan]

My selections off the top of my head would be:

Newcastle: Carney (GB), Simpson

Manly: Orford, Menzies, Stewart, Matai (NZ)

[lonegull]

added to th australian train on squad are
Manly- Brett Stewart, Brent kite, Matty Orford, Steve Bell and Steve Menzies
Newcastle- Kurt Gidley, Steve Simpson

[Queenslander]

Train on Squad Additions
Monday, September 25, 2006 - 12:17 PM

The Chairman of the Australian Rugby League, Mr Colin Love, has announced that the following players have been added to the train-on squad for the 2006 Gillette Tri Nations.

Bulldogs: Willie Mason, Mark O?Meley, Reni Maitua, Nate Myles, Andrew Ryan, Hazem El Masri

St George-Illawarra Dragons: Mark Gasnier, Matt Cooper, Ben Hornby, Luke Bailey, Ben Creagh

Jason Ryles (Dragons) was not considered for selection due to a wrist injury that requires surgery.

Source: NRL

[DeeGan]

No surprises there, cheers Queenslander.

[Titanium_BD1103]

Yep no surprises at all... but they are all players in form and deserve their selections...

I don't expect Hazem or Nate to be in the full time squad though, but the others are all real chances...

[DeeGan]

I don't expect Hazem or Nate to be in the full time squad though, but the others are all real chances...

I do hope we are wrong about Hazem - he deserves a shot at more Test football. He won't let us down if given the chance. I would have him there before either Hayne or Merritt as backups to the likely pairing of Tate and King.

[Titanium_BD1103]

I agree, he won't let the team down and I would love to see Hazem there, he is my favourite player and I would love him to get the chance to represent Australia.

The thing is though with Inglis, Tate, King and Slater all likely to be selected... I am worried that he will once again miss out, because he is consistently good every year and still doesn't get the rep honours...

But I think Hazem accepts that is just the way it has to be ATM, he came through when there were great players always around him, but I am sure if he did get picked, he would do Australia proud...

[Queenslander]

Aussie jerseys await NRL grand finalists
Monday, September 25, 2006 - 7:24 PM

Just a year after the grand finalists were almost completely snubbed by Kangaroo selectors, Melbourne and Brisbane have extra incentive to perform in Sunday's NRL decider with up to 16 players in contention for the Australian side.

After Canterbury beat Brisbane in the 1998 decider, 11 of the players from that match were chosen for the 17-man Australian team to face New Zealand that year - but that record is likely to be smashed when selectors sit down to pick their team for the opening Tri Nations clash.

That's in stark contrast to last year, when only Scott Prince (Wests Tigers) and Luke O'Donnell (North Queensland) made the end-of-season tour.

And Queensland could have its biggest representation in a Kangaroos team ever, with all of the contenders bar Melbourne centre Matt King aligned with the southern state.

In 1998, 12 Maroons were chose for the two end-of season Tests against New Zealand, with the current Origin title holders again likely to dominate in the selection boardroom.

While Australian chairman of selectors Bob McCarthy was barred from discussing candidates following an edict from ARL supremos, chief executive Geoff Carr indicated Brisbane and Melbourne would figure prominently in selection discussions.

"Historically the grand final is a pointer to players that can play under pressure," Carr said.

"We've always felt that if you can handle the pressure of grand final football you can handle international football.

"If you play well in the grand final, you always give yourself a shot at selection.

"They're the best two teams in the comp and both have some quality players and many would be in line for representative selection.

"We'll be interested to see how they go."

Brisbane players in the frame for Australian honours are Justin Hodges, Brent Tate, Karmichael Hunt, Darren Lockyer, Shaun Berrigan, Petero Civoniceva, Sam Thaiday, Brad Thorn and Tony Carroll.

Melbourne players in contention are King, Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith, Ryan Hoffman and Dallas Johnson.

Slater on Monday even called for props Antonio Kaufusi and Brett White to be considered, although it's unlikely they'd be considered ready for Test football.

And Kiwi coach Brian McClennan raised the stakes by on Monday indicating the Broncos' Greg Eastwood, Tame Tupou and Storm trio Jake Webster, David Kidwell and Adam Blair were also in the mix.

Asked if the Storm deserved to be rewarded by Australian selectors for their dominant season, King said: "The short answer is `yes'".

"Cam Smith is obviously a shoo-in with Bedsy (Danny Buderus) not playing and Greg Inglis, they'd be crazy to leave him out," he said.

"Guys like Ryan Hoffman and Cooper Cronk really have to be in the mix.

"Dallas Johnson too and Mick Crocker (injured) would have gone close.

"Hopefully with our consistent year, fingers crossed and a good performance on Sunday night, we'll get more represented."

Slater said: "I wouldn't be surprised if Brett White and Antonio Kaufusi are rewarded with representative jerseys.

"You could go through our whole side and the majority of them are worth a mention."

Cronk said he was more concerned with Sunday's result rather than the Australian halfback jersey.

"Those things will sort themselves out after the GF, we'll leave that to the selectors."

Source: AAP

[Grimmace]

Kaufusi to benefit from Bailey injury
Sunday, October 1, 2006 - 4:50 PM

Another piece of rotten luck for St George Illawarra prop Luke Bailey looks set to earn Melbourne front rower Antonio Kaufusi a call-up when Australia selectors name their squad for the Tri-Nations tournament on Monday.

Bailey is be likely to be ruled out of his Tri-Nations for the third straight year in a row after carrying a shoulder for much of the latter part of the Dragons' 2006 NRL campaign.

The NSW Origin prop missed the last two end of season tournaments to undergo operations on his ears and is one of three Dragons - Ben Creagh (knee) and Matt Cooper (hamstring) the others - who will have injuries assessed by Kangaroos doctor Hugh Hazard before the naming of the 23-man squad in Sydney on Monday.

"We've been notified by the Dragons that they're all carrying injuries," ARL chief executive Geoff Carr said on Sunday.

"Hugh Hazard will be making a recommendation to selectors before they sit down to select the side.

"None of them have been ruled out yet."

Newcastle second rower Steve Simpson is out, undergoing groin surgery in the next two weeks after rejecting an offer from the Knights to delay surgery until after the tournament.

One man who is available is the impressive Kaufusi, the Tonga-born big man clearing any doubts about his eligibility by declaring his allegiance to Queensland and Australia.

Carr had been trying to contact the 21-year-old this week to discuss his intentions but had been thwarted until Saturday by Storm officials keen to keep the front rower focused ahead of Sunday night's grand final clash against Brisbane.

With more than a dozen Kangaroos hopefuls to be on show in Sunday night's NRL decider, selectors are sure to be keeping a close eye on proceedings.

Of particular interest will be the performance of Melbourne halfback Cooper Cronk, who is locked in a four-way battle with Johnathan Thurston, Matt Orford and Ben Hornby for the No.7 jumper made vacant by the representative retirement of Newcastle ace Andrew Johns.

Thurston and Orford both had a final a final opportunity to impress played for the Prime Minister's XIII in Saturday's 28-8 win over Papua New Guinea, while Hornby's Dragons bowed out of the NRL finals race with a loss to the Storm last week.

Chairman of selectors Bob McCarthy said there were more than a few positions still up for grabs.

"It's pretty tough on the guys in the PM's game, they didn't have long to prepare and the conditions were difficult," McCarthy said.

"The grand final is a massive opportunity for a few (others) of them to perform, the stage doesn't get any bigger than that."

Possible Australia squad: Darren Lockyer (capt), Karmichael Hunt, Justin Hodges, Shaun Berrigan, , Brent Tate, Petero Civoniceva (all Brisbane), Matt King, Greg Inglis, Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Ryan Hoffman, Antonio Kaufusi, Dallas Johnson (all Melbourne), Willie Mason, Mark O'Meley (both Bulldogs), Steve Menzies, Brent Kite (both Manly), Luke O'Donnell, Johnathan Thurston (both North Queensland), Mark Gasnier, Ben Hornby (both St George Illawarra), Nathan Hindmarsh (Parramatta), Steve Price (New Zealand Warriors).

Source: AAP