NRL Pacific Championships 2023: Dylan Edwards gets Kangaroos call-up, Jack de Belin to play for PNG, Nathan Cleary ruled out
An NRL inquiry into Josh Addo-Carr’s involvement in a Koori Knockout carnival brawl has resulted in Panther Dylan Edwards finally recognised with a representative spot.
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Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards has finally cracked it for a representative spot after being called into the Kangaroos squad as an insurance policy for Josh Addo-Carr, who is facing a ban over his involvement in a brawl at the Koori Knockout carnival.
Edwards was a shock omission from the 21-man squad when it was originally named on Tuesday but sources close to Penrith confirmed he had been called into the squad late on Thursday.
It is understood Edwards has been added as a shadow for Addo-Carr, who has been the subject of an integrity unit investigation following an incident last weekend.
Addo-Carr was involved in a brawl that was the subject of a police investigation. Police opted not to lay charges but referred the matter to the NSW Rugby League.
The NRL conducted their own inquiries - ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys suggested on Tuesday that it was likely to be on the agenda at Wednesday’s commission meeting.
The Kangaroos are already without North Queensland centre Valentine Holmes for the opening game of the Pacific tournament and Addo-Carr is expected to miss at least one game as the NRL prepares to hand down their sanctions.
That would leave Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga dangerously short of outside backs and Edwards is expected to provide additional cover - Meninga has previously suggested he could play centre.
Edwards’ addition to the Kangaroos squad is richly deserved. He has been one of the most consistent players in the NRL in recent seasons as part of the all-conquering Panthers, who won their third consecutive premiership on Sunday night.
De Belin to make shock international rugby league debut
-Michael Carayannis
Jack de Belin will make a shock first appearance for PNG at the end of season tournament.
De Belin’s grandmother was born in PNG but had up until no rejected the advances, including a chance to play last year’s World Cup. The Dragons forward has been convinced by new PNG coach Justin Holbrook to make his international.
The 32-year-old played three games for NSW in 2018.
Sharks star earns Roos call up after GF hero ruled out
-Dean Ritchie, David Riccio, Brent Read and Phil Rothfield
A day after declaring time on his season, Cronulla star Nicho Hynes has put the bitter disappointment of the Sharks’ finals exit behind him after receiving a shock call-up to the Australian side for injured Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary.
Hynes was lazing by the pool with Sharks teammate Kade Dykes on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast when he missed a phone call from Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga.
Fortunately for Hynes, Meninga was persistent.
“I had left my phone in the room and I was down by the pool with Dykesy,’’ Hynes said.
“Our chairman (Steve Mace) had popped in to say hi and he was on the phone to Fitzy (Craig Fitzgibbon) who said, put Nicho on, he’s not answering his phone.
Hynes was part of the Kangaroos train-on squad and played in the recent Prime Minister’s XIII game, but missed the final cut when it came to selecting a 21-man squad for the international tournament involving Samoa and New Zealand.
However, he won a reprieve when Cleary was ruled out with a posterior cruciate ligament injury, having suffered the problem in the club’s grand final win over Brisbane.
Hynes’ ascent to international football helps make up for the rapid exit of the Sharks’ from the finals and gives him the chance to erase the disappointment of his State of Origin experience earlier this year, when he was dropped after the Blues’ lost the opening game.
“Considering I wrote on Instagram yesterday that my season is done, to be here now, there’s no better way to finish the year,’’ Hynes said.
Hynes will provide cover in the halves and potentially at fullback for the Kangaroos. St George Illawarra’s Ben Hunt can also cover the halfback-dummy half role as they attempt to overcome the loss of man of the moment, Cleary.
It is understood Cleary injured his knee when he was caught in a hip-drop tackle by Brisbane forward Payne Haas early in Sunday night’s grand final at Accor Stadium.
Cleary still managed to lead the Panthers to a premiership win but was ruled out on Wednesday – he is expected to undergo scans on Thursday to determine the full extent of the injury.
Manly captain Cherry-Evans will start at halfback in Cleary’s absence, having been usurped by the Penrith playmaker on last year’s World Cup tour. The Sea Eagles playmaker is coming off an outstanding season, having led Queensland to victory in the Origin series.
The Kangaroos open their Pacific campaign against Samoa in Townsville on October 14 before confronting New Zealand in Melbourne a fortnight later. The final will be played the following week in Hamilton, New Zealand.
Crichton commits to Samoa, Suaalii ruled out
—Fatima Kdouh
Penrith have lost Stephen Crichton and now the Canterbury-bound three-time premiership winner will be lost to the Australian Kangaroos after committing his international future to Samoa.
It comes as new Samoan coach Ben Gardiner revealed Sydney Roosters star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been ruled out of selection with concussion issues.
This masthead revealed on Sunday that the star centre Crichton was undecided about pledging his allegiance to the Kangaroos, after coming on the radar of coach Mal Meninga, with a call to be made after the grand final.
On Tuesday afternoon, Gardiner, an assistant coach at Penrith, said Crichton had made a crucial decision.
“Stephen is Samoan. His parents were born in Samoa. He’s a guy that will play for Samoa and only Samoa,” Gardner revealed.
“There was no question whether he was going to play for Australia when I spoke to him about it a few weeks ago, he said ‘I’m Samoan and I play for Samoa, let’s not even go into that discussion.’
“That’s cool in itself, that he’s more than willing to represent his heritage, people and country. He’s a really loyal guy.”
Crichton, who represented Samoa in last year’s world cup, was one of four Penrith players to receive a call-up, including winger Brian To’o, forward Spencer Leniu and centre Izack Tago.
Star five-eighth Jarome Luai will miss the Pacific Championships, with the playmaker scheduled to go under the knife to repair his dislocated shoulder. Luai made a remarkable comeback from the untimely injury after just a month on the sidelines but only lasted on the field for 52 minutes in Penrith’s historic grand final win against Brisbane on Sunday night.
While Samoa won’t have Luai on the field, Gardner is hoping the 26-year old can join the squad in camp in the lead-up to the side’s opener against Australia in Townsville on October 14.
“Having a discussion with Jarome yesterday, he is very disappointed he can’t be part of the team. He’ll be a close part of what we do, he’ll be coming on the ride,” Gardner said.
“Our plan is to have him (in Townsville), he’s the minister for energy so we want to make sure he can be there.”
Suaalii missed the Roosters’ semi-final loss to Melbourne with concussion, in what was his second head knock in three months after also suffering a head injury during training mid-season.
“He’s unavailable. I had a discussion with the Roosters a few weeks ago … It’s concussion protocol. I don’t want to go too much into it because I’m not privy to that information,” Gardner said.
“But with the concussions he had at the end of the year, he’s unavailable for the Tests matches because of those protocols.”
Gardiner is also planning on reaching out to star fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ahead of his impending return to the NRL and the New Zealand Warriors.
“I’ll be reaching out to him over the next couple of weeks, we will go to New Zealand obviously,” Gardiner said.
“Roger has got to make that choice for himself. We all know how much of an elite player is … I hope it’s something he considers.
“I’d like to create an environment where players want to come and play with other players because they are Samoan.
“I think the players will work on Roger in the background.”
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