After making the tough call during last year’s World Cup to select Nathan Cleary ahead of Daly Cherry-Evans, Gallagher Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga was asked if he was now guaranteed the No.7 jersey for the Pacific Championships.
“Do I have to answer that,” Meninga said at a press conference to announce the Australian squad for the tournament, which kicks off in Townsville on October 14 with a re-match of the World Cup final against Samoa.
Cleary, the two-times Clive Churchill Medallist, and Cherry-Evans are both in the 21-man squad, which includes four debutants and prop Payne Haas, who returns to the green-and-gold after missing the World Cup due to personal reasons.
If fit, Cleary will again be the first choice halfback but there are concerns about a leg injury suffered he suffered in the opening exchanges of Sunday's grand final that caused him to pass on the conversion of Mitch Kenny's 17th minute try.
Cleary was not troubled by the injury as he led the Panthers to the greatest comeback in grand final history but he was limping after getting off the team bus in Penrith on Monday morning.
The star halfback is one of three Panthers named in the Australian team, and if he misses the opening match against Samoa, Cleary could play against New Zealand in Melbourne on October 28.
However, there was no room for Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards or rivals Kalyn Ponga and Reece Walsh, with James Tedesco to again captain the Kangaroos.
Meninga said that while the trio had each been considered he was reluctant to play anyone out of position due to the length of the tournament, in which Australia, Samoa and New Zealand play each other once.
The selection of Kangaroos rookies Selwyn Cobbo, Thomas Flegler and Kotoni Staggs, along with Haas and Pat Carrigan, gives the Broncos the biggest representation.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow becomes the first Australian player chosen from the Dolphins.
The top two teams meet again in the final in Hamilton on November 4.
If Tedesco was injured, Meninga has a number of options for the No.1 jersey, including shifting Cameron Munster from five-eighth to fullback and partnering Cleary and Cherry-Evans in the halves.
“Daly has had an unbelievable year, as well, but Nathan is on another level at the moment, as he showed on Sunday,” Meninga said. “He is the incumbent No.7 and loyalty plays a role as well.
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Asked where Cleary’s second half performance against the Broncos ranked, Meninga said: “It was right up there and for me personally the Penrith team ranks as one of the best teams to ever play the game”.
Tedesco was also in awe of Cleary’s performance as he laid on a try for Moses Leota, threw the final pass for Stephen Crichton to score, kicked a 40/20 and crossed for the match winner as the Panthers came back from 24-8 down to triumph 26-24.
“I think he would admit he probably wasn’t at his high-end best for the most of the game but in the last 20 minutes he really took control," Tedesco said.
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“Once Brisbane built that lead I thought Penrith were going to struggle to score some points and get back into the game but Nathan just took control of the whole game.
“His running game, kicking game and everything was just on point and he did what he had to do to get the win, so it was really impressive – especially to do that in a grand final.”
With Cleary and Munster in the halves and Tedesco at fullback, the rest of the backline virtually picks itself as a one-match suspension imposed on Valentine Holmes by the NRL Integrity Unit leaves Meninga with four outside backs.
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Tabuai-Fidow and Staggs will almost certainly be the new centre pairing, with Josh Addo-Carr and Cobbo on the wings.
Meninga said Staggs, who has played two Tests for Tonga, had contacted Australian team management to advise of his desire to represent the Kangaroos.
Tabuai-Fidow was a member of Samoa’s World Cup squad but his campaign was ended by an injury in the opening match and he has also switched allegiances in a virtual swap with Murray Taulagi, who will pull on a blue jersey in Townsville.
With Latrell Mitchell, Jack Wighton, Campbell Graham and Tom Trbojevic unavailable, there was speculation that Crichton may play for Australia but Samoa coach Ben Gardiner said he only wanted to play for his birth nation.
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ARLC chairman Peter V'landys revealed that he used his casting vote at the selection meeting to expand the Kangaroos squad from 20 to 21 players.
"We had a split on two players and both deserved to be in so we made an executive decision to go to 21," he said.
Panthers second-rower Liam Martin is the only player who regularly plays as an edge forward for his club and South Sydney captain Cameron Murray is expected to be the other starting second-rower.
Meninga said the likes of Carrigan, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Reuben Cotter could play on an edge if needed.
Australia will play its first game of the Pacific Championships against Samoa in Townsville on October 14 before taking on New Zealand in Melbourne on October 28. The final of the tournament will be played the following week in Hamilton.
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