Kangaroos vs. Tonga XIII: 2024 Pacific Championships live updates, results

They have been charged a whopping 49 times and suspended for a total of 33 games - it’s a fair bet that these Tongan torpedoes are primed to explode against the Kangaroos tonight.

Here is 575kg of raw Tongan power ready to intimidate and bully Australia’s once untouchable Kangaroos.

And they’re no angels either, having been charged a whopping 49 times between them by the NRL match review committee.

They have been suspended for a total of 33 games.

Tonga’s middles and edge forwards will enjoy a 60kg advantage upfront in a Pacific Championships Test match against Australia on Friday night in Brisbane.

Big Addin Fonua-Blake comes in at 123kg, Haumole Olakau’atu (113kg), Felise Kaufusi (112kg), Eli Katoa (110kg) and Jason Taumalolo (117kg).

And Tonga’s bench is also monstrous through Taniela Paseka (120kg), Keaon Koloamatangi (110kg) and Sitili Tupouniua (101kg).

That’s a total of 888kg.

The Tongan team packs a mighty punch. Picture: Supplied

And some of them don’t mind the odd on-field scrap either.

“They won’t take a backward step, that’s for sure,” said Tonga head coach Kristian Woolf. “The days of niggle are gone but they can play physical and run hard.”

Most agree the days when Australia physically menaced international opponents are long gone.

Fonua-Blake and Taumalolo are co-captain beasts. Kaufusi always brings hostility, Olakau’atu is a weapon while Storm grand final powerhouse Katoa has enjoyed his finest NRL season.

Australia’s starting pack is Patrick Carrigan (106kg), Lindsay Collins (106kg), Angus Crichton (102kg), Cam Murray (96kg) and Isaah Yeo (105kg)

That’s a total of 515kg - 60kg lighter than Tonga.

“Our forwards are a real strong point,” said Woolf, the new Dolphins head coach. “We have some of the best and most consistent forwards in the NRL competition.

“That’s always been a pillar of ours and always led by Jason Taumalolo with Addin being a good supporter in recent years. We want to build our game around them, we know it’s a strength.”

THE ‘ELEPHANT’ IN THE KANGAROOS CHANGEROOM

New skipper Isaah Yeo has promised Australia won’t produce another humiliating performance as the Kangaroos brace for a Tongan ambush in Brisbane.

The Kangaroos will take the field on Friday night for the first time since last year’s embarrassing 30-0 defeat to New Zealand in the Pacific Championships finals.

The Kiwis recorded one of their most famous victories in Hamilton last November, trouncing Australia in a cakewalk that ended the Test careers of Origin captains Daly Cherry-Evans and James Tedesco.

Mal Meninga will field a new-look Kangaroos team including six debutants before a crowd of more than 30,000 at Suncorp Stadium.

Penrith’s four-time premiership skipper Yeo has replaced Tedesco as Kangaroos captain and said the Kiwis debacle had been addressed.

(L-R) Isaah Yeo and Harry Grant. Picture: Steve Pohlner

“There’ll be a response but it’s also a different group,” he said.

“We’ve got six debutants and we’re trying to create our own legacy.

“You certainly don’t look past what happened last year and the lessons from it. We spoke about it early in the camp.

“When you wear this jersey there is an expectation to win and that’s the really strong history of this jersey. It’s certainly no different for us.

“We need to go out and put on a good performance for our country.”

Meninga will blood an entirely new spine from last year, with Mitchell Moses and Tom Dearden to debut in the halves, Dylan Edwards to make his first Test appearance at fullback and Harry Grant at hooker.

Grant came off the bench in last year’s final and said he was ready for an 80-minute slog in the middle without Ben Hunt in the team as the Kangaroos chase redemption.

“I’m excited for that challenge,” he said.

“It’s been my role the last couple of years (at the Storm). Rep footy is a little different but I’m really confident and comfortable that’s my game and I know how to play that.

“You look at our ruck forwards and bench, those guys can play big minutes too. There’s fresh legs to come on if we need.

“Last year was disappointing and you’ve got to address it. It’s the elephant in the room but we have to understand it happened and we can’t change it.

“But we can control what we do next and a lot of guys are buying into that. They are ripping in and so keen to be here.

“We can’t change last year but we can learn from it and control what we do next.”

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FRIDAY NIGHTS PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS OPENING TESTS

Hello and welcome to our coverage of the 2024 Pacific Championship.

We will be live blogging all the action from the Pacific Cup tonight as the Kangaroos take on Tonga and the Jillaroos take on PNG Orchids.

Ahead of the first kick-off at 6:05pm, here’s everything you need to know.

Originally published as Kangaroos vs. Tonga XIII: 2024 Pacific Championships live updates, results