Mal Meninga's revelation about Kangaroos captaincy as coach faces huge call on James Tedesco

The Kangaroos coach has admitted there are a number of positions up for grabs.

Sports Reporter

Mon, 2 Sept 2024, 3:04 am·4-min read

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has hinted there could be a new look Kangaroos team for this year's international campaign with captain James Tedesco fighting to keep his jersey. Tedesco came under pressure last year to remain as the Blues and Kangaroos No.1 after a lacklustre season in the representative arena.

New South Wales coach Michael Maguire selected Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards as the fullback and he excelled as the Blues won State of Origin. Tedesco may have returned to form for the Roosters in the 2024 NRL season, but his lack of representative games and the form of Edwards has prompted calls for a new Kangaroos fullback.

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga (pictured) has hinted he is considering whether James Tedesco (pictured right) will remain captain. (Getty Images)

And Meninga admitted one of the biggest calls he will make will be who wears the jersey for the games against Tonga and New Zealand. “Obviously Teddy is playing good footy at the moment and he’s had a great year and his team will be in the finals and the same with Dylan Edwards so that conversation is going to continue,” Meninga said on Fox Sports.

Reece Walsh appears to be out of the running in 2024 with the Broncos fullback out injured with a fractured hand. The Broncos won't be playing finals footy this year with Walsh unlikely to return in round 27. While the fullback position has a number of stars pushing for a call-up, the Kangaroos halfback role is also up for grabs.

Nathan Cleary was the incumbent in 2022 before an injury during the NRL season ruled him out of the Pacific Test Championship at the end of 2023. Cleary did not play State of Origin this year due to a hamstring injury and the Panthers No.7 has also been ruled out again until the NRL finals. Daly Cherry-Evans once again wore the No.7 jersey last year for Australia, but the Manly halfback was not at his best in the Maroons.

Meninga admitted there is still some way to go before deciding who pulls on the halfback jersey against Tonga and New Zealand. He also dropped a major hint that Tedesco is definitely fighting for his position in the squad having suggested selectors are considering a new captain. If Cleary is fit, the Panthers No.7 could be named as the captain with selectors considering a long-term view.

“You’ve got Nathan Cleary who we’re not quite sure what’s going to happen but until the club tells us he’s a 50-50 opportunity,” Meninga added. “You’ve still got Daly Cherry-Evans still playing some terrific footy. Mitchell Moses is still OK to go. We’ve got some selection issues… and then we’ve got to pick a captain.

“You look at the Australian team… we’re full of leaders in the club situation. We’ve got leaders from every club playing for our country and a lot of leaders play for other countries. There’s a huge amount to pick from and if Teddy’s not in the team we’ve got to pick a new captain and I think (if we pick) the new captain we’ve got to look to the future. We’ve got the World Cup here in 2026, we’ve got the English coming down next year.”

Dylan Edwards passes the ball. — Dylan Edwards (pictured) is pushing for a debut as the Kangaroos No.1.

Mal Meninga hints at Blues contingent after Origin win

The Blues dominated Origin Game 2 and 3 this year with Maguire winning his debut series. A new look backline featuring the likes of Zac Lomax and Edwards saw the Blues overcome the Maroons for the first time since 2021. And Meninga admitted he would seriously consider a number of Blues players after such an emphatic series victory.

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This comes after the Kangaroos suffered their biggest defeat in international history last year with a number of players selected with loyalty in mind. “As everyone knows we got beaten 30-0 in the Pacific Championships final, so we’ve got to take a serious look at the make-up of the footy team,” Meninga added.

“I feel like in the past we worked really hard on loyalty and those that have done it in the past and been successful but that’s been our biggest loss ever in international history. It’s something we take seriously. I think Origin plays its part this year… New South Wales were dominant. It was a great last game but I still felt they were fairly dominant in the series plus obviously your club form and finals form becomes important and then we’ve got to pick a team and then we’ve got to pick a captain.”