DCE puts hand up for Kangaroos as Turbo awaits clearance

Daly Cherry-Evans has reaffirmed his availability for the Pacific Championships, and he could be joined in the Kangaroos side by Manly team-mate Tom Trbojevic at right centre.

Cherry-Evans has been a Kangaroos' mainstay since 2018, and the Sea Eagles captain is keen to add to his 21 Test appearances in the Pacific Championships, beginning at Suncorp Stadium on October 18 with Australia taking on Tonga.

“If I get picked, I’d love to. I know where I stand,” Cherry-Evans said after Manly’s 40-16 finals elimination by Sydney Roosters on Saturday night.

“We will see what happens in the next couple of weeks but if I’m picked it would be good.“

Trbojevic has required pain killing injections to play in the finals against the Bulldogs and the Roosters after suffering an AC joint injury four weeks ago.

But if he is available, the superstar fullback is expected to be chosen for his first Test since 2018 and he could play right centre.

Asked if Trbojevic would now require surgery, Manly coach Anthony Seibold was unsure but backed his selection for Australia.

“I’d love to see ‘Turbo’ represent the Kangaroos but I’m not actually sure if he needs an operation or not,” Seibold said.

“We will get a check on all of our players, we will get medicals on Tuesday, and work out who is available for the rep footy and who is not.”

Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary (shoulder) and Melbourne five-eighth Cameron Munster (groin) were Australia’s halves pairing in the 2022 World Cup final but there are doubts about their availability.

Injured Eels halfback Mitchell Moses has emerged as an unlikely selection, despite not having played since rupturing his bicep in the dying minutes of NSW’s series clinching Origin III win.

However, Australian coach Mal Meninga pointed out that Cherry-Evans was the incumbent Test halfback.

“We are not quite sure with Nathan, we don’t know where Nathan stands at the end of the year, as well, but we will find that out over the next few weeks,” Meninga said on Fox Sports.

“I took both of them over to the World Cup in 2022.”   

Meninga also confirmed that Trbojevic was firmly in the frame for Kangaroos selection if he is fit, possibly at right centre, where he played in 2018 against the Kiwis and Tonga in New Zealand.

“His last game was in 2018 so obviously through his injuries he has struggled to be available and around at that time,” Meninga said.

There’s no doubt if he was available that he would be playing.

“He is one of our greatest players in our game and some say our best fullback, but we all know in representative football you try to put all your best players in there and you try to fit them in the best you can.

“Tommy played right centre in 2018 and did a terrific job. He reckons he was very, very scared playing out there but he is a quality rugby league player.”

After losing last year’s Pacific Cup final by a record 30-0 scoreline against New Zealand, the Kangaroos are set to feature some changes, but Meninga said he would be checking with clubs on the availability of players through injury.

“I always maintain that we pick an Australian side for the present, sometimes with a view to the future, but it is the best players in their position at that particular time,” Meninga said.

“We have behind the scenes been looking at all the players and picking squads and things like that to see how we look.

“There have been a few guys who could be unavailable because of injuries and Tom is one of those so it would be interesting to get some feedback off the club.

“We know that it is finals time so we make sure that they just concentrate on what they need to do and that’s play well for Manly, but we will be on the phones through the week, having a bit of a chat to them to see how that’s all going.”