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Glaring Reece Walsh and Kalyn Ponga detail called out as NRL greats deliver scathing Kangaroos swipe

The absence of the game's three most marketable players could be a huge miss for Australia.

riley morgan
Sports Reporter
·5-min read

The Kangaroos will be taking on Tonga this Friday only two weeks after the NRL grand final and the absence of superstars Reece Walsh, Kalyn Ponga and Nathan Cleary has cast doubt over the interest in the international calendar. On Tuesday, Corey Parker, Greg Alexander, Andrew Voss and Josh Mansour all questioned the hype ahead of Australia's clash against Tonga on Friday with little fanfare built around the clash.

Playing for Australia was once the pinnacle of rugby league and all players strived to represent their country. Except a number of superstars have either been snubbed or withdrawn from selection due to injury or fatigue. After an epic NRL grand final between Penrith and the Storm, Cleary and back-rower Liam Martin have both opted to miss the Kangaroos games due to injury.

Kalyn ponga reacts after a loss and Reece Walsh during a game.
The absence of superstars such as Reece Walsh (pictured right), Kalyn Ponga (pictured left) and Nathan Cleary may have lessened the hype around the Kangaroos Pacific Championship campaign. (Getty Images)

Cleary hasn't played for the Kangaroos since 2022 due to injuries after the grand final. Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster also ruled himself out after the NRL grand final. On Tuesday, on SEN Radio, a listener claimed the international schedule has been diluted because the Kangaroos team is weakened because of injuries and players putting club before country.

And arguably the two most exciting fullbacks in the game have yet to represent their country because they haven't been selected. Walsh was injured towards the end of the season as the Broncos' campaign came to a disappointing end as Kevin Walters' men missed the top eight.

Regardless, Walsh represented the Maroons in all three State of Origin games this year and arguably brings more eyeballs to the TV than any other player. Chairman of Australian Rugby League Peter V'landys said this week, Walsh's star power is like nothing seen before in the NRL. Ponga is similar.

The scintillating fullback controversially ruled himself out of contention after the NRL campaign to focus on his club pre-season. After backlash to his decision to snub the Kangaroos the fullback then backtracked.

Despite his availability, coach Mal Meninga opted to snub Ponga and went with Dylan Edwards. The Penrith Panthers fullback could make a case for being the best No.1 in the game in 2024 after a standout State of Origin series.

Reece Walsh and Kalyn Ponga during training.
Reece Walsh (pictured left) and Kalyn Ponga (pictured right) have never featured for the Kangaroos.

However, Ponga on his day is arguably the best player in the game. Walsh and Ponga bring eyeballs to NRL games and along with Cleary, the trio's absence from an Australian team appears to hurt its appeal for young fans. While Meninga can select who he deems fit to play for the Kangaroos, many could argue Ponga's inclusion in the squad - and an appearance in one game - would benefit the Kangaroos' appeal.

Former Penrith winger Mansour pointed out Ponga's controversy ahead of Meninga's team selection garnered more hype than the Kangaroos' build-up to the clashes between Tonga and New Zealand. This could suggest the absence of the game's most exciting players does hurt the Kangaroos hype when rugby league fatigue appears to hit fans after a long NRL season. Cleary's visit to see Mary Fowler, and watch the Super League final, has also been a bigger story in recent days.

On Tuesday, former Australian forward Parker was left baffled to why their was so little promotion around the opening clash of the Pacific Championship on Friday. "Has the game done enough to promote, do we want to see these games continue? I don't know," Parker said on SEN Radio when asked about the Australia and Tonga international.

Penrith legend Alexander was questioned where the international game stands for players compared to Origin. Commentator Andrew Voss asked if fans and players are worn out ahead of the international schedule. "We haven't played in a year...no one is talking about it. I love international rugby league. But I am obviously in the minority," Voss said on SEN Radio.

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"This is the pinnacle, but do people see it this way these days? I don't know if they do," Alexander added. Most players opt to represent their state in Origin at the expense of their NRL club. While the Origin series is in the middle of the season, when it was made a stand alone series in 2022, player still made themselves available.

However, most of the injured Penrith and Storm players have withdrawn ahead of the Pacific Championship. The rugby league international schedule has been a controversial talking point in recent years with games blending into the post-season. And plenty will be made of the Pacific Championship if fans don't rally around the international schedule once again.

Nathan Cleary runs the ball.
Nathan Cleary (pictured) won't play for the Kangaroos.

Ponga's snub from the Kangaroos squad has garnered plenty of attention and Meninga said the decision to not select Ponga was because he simply wasn't the best fullback available after the 2024 season. He claimed it had nothing to do with him initially announcing he would remove himself from selection contention to focus on the Knights' pre-season. "That's not true," Meninga said.

"We had a really good conversation, I was really happy. We chose the team on merit. We sat around the selection table, six of us, and we considered Kalyn a specialist fullback. He has played 14 (for Queensland), we know that. But we feel that Dylan Edwards is the best No.1 in the game at the moment."