Grand final MVP Liam Martin is set to be ruled out of Australia’s Pacific Championships campaign, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
The Clive Churchill Medal winner was included in Mal Meninga’s squad for the end-of-season tournament but is now expected to pull out, due to shoulder and rib cartilage injuries.
Canberra forward Hudson Young, who was initially overlooked for the final cut, is likely to replace Martin.
Meninga has dumped James Tedesco from his squad with Dylan Edwards getting the nod at fullback.
Panthers lock Isaah Yeo is the new Australian captain while his premiership-winning teammate Nathan Cleary will miss the tournament due to his shoulder injury.
Kalyn Ponga was snubbed by the Kangaroos after he initially ruled himself out and then back flipped to become available for selection.
Eels playmaker Mitchell Moses is set to form a new-look halves duo with fellow debutant Tom Dearden after Manly veteran Daly Cherry-Evans was omitted after playing in last year’s tournament which ended with a 30-0 loss to New Zealand in the final.
Canterbury five-eighth Matt Burton is also in the mix.
DCE, the Maroons skipper and Blues captain, Jake Trbojevic, were among the high-profile omissions but Manly teammate Tom Trbojevic is good to go after overcoming his recent shoulder injury.
Cameron Munster, who was cleared of a biting allegation in the grand final, withdrew due to his ongoing groin and hip injuries. Valentine Holmes (broken leg) and Kotoni Staggs (torn quad) were also sidelined from selection.
Bradman Best, Reece Robson, Xavier Coates, Zac Lomax and Mitch Barnett are uncapped members of the squad along with the bolter, Panthers prop Lindsay Smith, who was not named in the recent 31-man preliminary squad.
Storm skipper Harry Grant has been named vice-captain as the selectors refresh their squad looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup.
“It is a bit of an evolution of this, certainly on the back of what happened in the Pacific Championships last year,” Meninga said.
“That was in the back of our minds but we felt Origin was important and form in the finals.”
Tedesco has been dropped for the first time since his Kangaroos debut in 2018
“There was a difficult conversation (with Tedesco) … Teddy played game one for NSW and two and three Dylan was the fullback.
“We chose based on Origin and form but in the end Dylan has been in the wings for quite a long time, so we decided we would go with him.”
Yeo was the pseudo Blues captain this year, starting from the bench but playing the majority of each match as skipper when Jake Trbojevic was benched early in each game.
“Isaah is an outstanding player and outstanding person and they are two great qualities we want in an Australian captain,” Meninga said.
“He understands winning, he understands how to lead winning teams as well, I’m very comfortable that Isaah is the national captain.
The Panthers hold aloft the Provan-Summons Trophy. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
“Isaah has been the vice-captain since the World Cup under Teddy [James Tedesco] and deserves that chance to captain his country.”
In explaining Ponga being left out after the circus surrounding his availability, Meninga said the Newcastle skipper was not considered the best fullback available and other players had the edge on him for a bench utility role.
“When we looked at the team we considered Dylan was the No.1 fullback in our game, particularly for the Kangaroos, so we chose Dylan in front of Kalyn,” said Meninga.
“And then we look at the versatility of players and we consider Matt Burton and Ben Hunt can play a number of positions in the team and we considered Kalyn as a fullback and that’s why he has been left out.
“When you look at your 21, you look at the diversity and flexibility of the team.
“We’ve got a range of players that can play different positions so that’s the methodology that goes into selecting this team.”
Meninga is taking a risk by leaving so much experienced talent on the outer but he is confident the uncapped players are ready to step up.
“We saw some outstanding individual performances through the finals series as well as the grand final,” Meninga said.
“This group has experience in the green and gold and will be motivated to win.
“This is an important tournament for the Kangaroos. We will face some high-quality opposition in Tonga and New Zealand in what is the biggest international competition in the Pacific.”
Kangaroos squad for Pacific Championships
Mitch Barnett (Warriors)
Matt Burton (Bulldogs)
Bradman Best (Knights)
Pat Carrigan (Broncos)
Xavier Coates (Storm)
Lindsay Collins (Roosters)
Reuben Cotter (Cowboys)
Angus Crichton (Roosters)
Tom Dearden (Cowboys)
Dylan Edwards (Panthers)
Harry Grant (Storm) – vice captain
Ben Hunt (Dragons)
Zac Lomax (Dragons)
Liam Martin (Panthers)
Mitch Moses (Eels)
Cameron Murray (Rabbitohs)
Reece Robson (Cowboys)
Lindsay Smith (Panthers)
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (Dolphins)
Tom Trbojevic (Sea Eagles)
Isaah Yeo (Panthers) – captain
with AAP