Roosters grand final hero Luke Keary admits he was shocked by Kangaroos call-up
AUSTRALIAN debutant Luke Keary knows he has a fight on his hands if he wants to cement his spot in the Kangaroos line-up ahead of Cameron Munster.
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AUSTRALIAN debutant Luke Keary knows he has a fight on his hands if he wants to cement his spot in the Kangaroos line-up ahead of Cameron Munster.
The Roosters’ grand final hero was still stunned yesterday after receiving a late call- up from Australia coach Mal Meninga to join the Kangaroos squad for its two-Test tour of New Zealand.
He said he had no idea he had been on Meninga’s radar for the past year but his dreams will now become a reality when he dons the green and gold for the first time on Saturday, against the Kiwis.
However, the Ipswich product won his place in the squad after the withdrawal of Melbourne Storm playmaker Munster for “personal reasons”.
The two faced off in the NRL grand final last month and Clive Churchill medallist Keary walked away as the victor, but Munster’s experience earnt him the Australian jersey.
The 26-year-old is now ready to make his mark again on Saturday, but knows he faces an uphill battle if he is to take Munster’s place in the side further down the track.
“There’s a couple of boys there, obviously Cam, but all I can do is play the best footy I can this weekend and see what happens,” Keary said of the battle for the Australian No.6 jersey.
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“It’s the pinnacle of our game to get here. But it’s not about getting here, it’s about what you do when you get here.
“It’s a different arena, different footy, but I thought I strung together a few good games there at the end of the year. I feel like I understand my game a lot better now. I know what I’ve got to do.
“I’ve always dreamt of playing in an arena like this. I can’t wait to actually play. I have to keep it relaxed.”
Keary said he was on the sofa at home when Meninga called with the good news on Sunday.
He will now partner Daly Cherry-Evans in the halves against New Zealand on Saturday and is expected to back up the following week against Tonga.
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His Australian debut will cap a significant rise for Keary this season but he said he still could not put a finger on why he had improved in 2018 other than just working hard.
“I just tried to work hard in all areas,” he said.
“I’m pumped to be here … it took a while to sink in.
“It’s all happening real quick, which is a good thing. It was a really enjoyable week.
‘‘After what happened last Sunday (winning the grand final), to celebrate with your mates and then to get this call seven days later, it’s topped off a pretty special week.
“It’s a good, young crew and there’s a lot of excitement around the boys.
“I’m sure there’s a lot of smart football people here and I’m going to learn a lot.
“It’s not the greatest situation to get called in like this (with Munster out) but it’s exciting for me … we still have (Munster) in our thoughts.”
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Originally published as Roosters grand final hero Luke Keary admits he was shocked by Kangaroos call-up