Rugby League World Cup 2022: Jake Trbojevic, Daly Cherry-Evans steer clear of Manly fallout
As drama envelopes Manly following the sacking of coach Des Hasler, how are the Sea Eagles biggest stars faring?
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The tyranny of distance has been a blessing for Daly Cherry-Evans and Jake Trbojevic.
As drama envelopes Manly back home, Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga insists the fallout at the Sea Eagles hasn’t impacted the pair as they prepare to play in Australia’s opening World Cup game against Fiji on Sunday morning (AEDT) in Leeds.
Cherry-Evans and Trbojevic have been half a world away from the implosion at Manly, which climaxed this week with the sacking of coach Des Hasler.
Both had spoken openly of their support for the two-time premiership winning coach and Meninga believes the pair are relieved to be a long way from home.
“To be quite frank I think they are quite happy being here,” Meninga said.
“They are part of a group of people who care about them and all they have to worry about is playing footy.
“It’s a sad situation back home. But we can’t do anything about it. The best thing Jake and Chez can do is get out and play footy and do their best for their country.”
As for Fiji, Meninga insists they won’t be easybeats. The Fijian side will be led by Penrith grand final heroes Api Koroisau and Viliame Kikau. Koroisau was close to forcing his way into Meninga’s Australian side, only to be squeezed out by Harry Grant and Ben Hunt.
“It’s’s gonna be a pretty physical game,” Meninga said.
“There’s a lot of internal competition amongst and a lot of positions up for grabs.
“So the performance is really important. It’s more focused around us and getting all the little things right.
“We’ve got so many basic simple principles we want to stick to and we want to do them very well. Api’s a great player, Kikau’s a great player.”
Australia have plenty of great players of their own. Leading the charge on Sunday morning will be Latrell Mitchell, who has the chance to cap his season with a World Cup win.
Mitchell has the potential to win over a legion of fans in England, just as Meninga did during his playing days.
“In my experience we come out and they boo us and then fall in love with you as the game goes on,” Meninga said.
“Hopefully Latrell is one of those players they fall in love with because he can entertain. He’s a great player.
“While he’s playing in a position that he’s not used to, of course. But I’m sure he’s one of 17 players who are really going to really perform together for the country.
TEDESCO ACCEPTS ROBBO’S WORLD CUP CHALLENGE
By Brent Read and Michael Carayannis
Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson is embedded with the French side at the World Cup but he had a message for Australian captain James Tedesco before he departed for England.
“Robbo had a good chat with me - he thought I was going to get [the captaincy],” Tedesco said.
“He said if I was going to get it, to go out and do a great job and win the World Cup. Then come back and be an even better leader for the Roosters.
“He has told me I am doing a great job but he knows there is room for growth as well. “He wants me to become the best leader in the game.
“Cameron Smith was the benchmark for many years but Robbo feels like I can get to where he was.”
When you speak with Robinson he casts his mind back to the start of last season. Tedesco – at best – would have been third choice to lead the Roosters. He had premiership winning skippers Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend at the club while the likes of Luke Keary and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves were also entranced as leaders.
The forced retirements of Cordner and Friend plus Keary’s own concussion problems fast-tracked Tedesco’s leadership.
“Ted went from interim captain in round two to full blown captain by the midway through last year,” Robinson said. “He ended up captaining NSW and was (NRL Dally M) captain of the year.
“What happens with leadership is that it carries a weight with it and that weight can really stifle your style of play or it can help your individual play but generally it will wear you down. That hasn’t happened to Ted.
“We bought Cooper (Cronk) and Teddy in 2018. Teddy was our talent buy and Cooper was our leader and character buy. What Teddy has done better than almost anyone I have ever seen is stay true to his style but quickly develop. He was become a character buy.”
Tedesco will captain Australia for the first time on Sunday morning as the Kangaroos open their World Cup campaign against Fiji in Leeds.
He fended off the challenge of Queensland skipper Daly Cherry-Evans to achieve the highest honour in the code and conceded there was a time only a couple of years ago when captaining Australia was the furthest thing from his mind.
At the time, Tedesco was trapped behind Cordner for club, state and country. Cordner’s retirement opened a door and Tedesco happily walked through it.
“I was under Boyd with the Roosters, State of Origin and Australia. I was happy doing my own thing,” Tedesco said.
“The last couple of years I have really matured and grown as a leader.
“That is probably why I got the opportunity. I wouldn’t have pictured this. It is probably just a good reward for my hard work.”
Cordner was earmarked as a captain for a long-time. But his leadership style differs to that of Tedesco according to Robinson.
“Ted hasn’t tried to be captain,” Robinson said. “That’s an important thing. You see people try to be captain. He hasn’t tried to be he has just assumed that role.
“Teddy has spread his leadership much more evenly around the group. He understands what his traits are and what he wanted to develop within himself. I feel like his best year of leadership this year.”
Tedesco will have plenty of shoulders to lean on in the Australian set-up. He is surrounded by captains in the Australian team.
When Cherry-Evans doesn’t play, Penrith co-captain Nathan Cleary will be there. His fellow skipper Isaah Yeo is a walk-up start for the Kangaroos, as is South Sydney captain Cameron Murray. Yeo and Murray are the Australian vice-captains.
Brisbane prop Patrick Carrigan has led the Broncos. Jake Trbojevic is the spiritual leader at Manly. On and on it goes. Australia won’t be lacking in leadership.
Tedesco doesn’t need the help, but he can take comfort in the knowledge that he won’t be caught short of support.
“I think that helps for sure,” he said.
“A big thing for us is that we are making sure we are all connected - and on the same page.
“It will help having a lot of leaders around me so we can all lead by example.”
He will give his long-time mentor Joe Wehbe - the football whisperer - a call at some point before the game for some final morsels of advice.
He plans to be very much his own man and lead by example, no doubt why Meninga and the ARL Commission chose him for the honour in the first place.
“I was driving by myself when Mal called,” Tedesco said.
“I probably wouldn’t have pictured being the captain of Australia a couple of years ago.
“I didn’t really tell anyone. I kept it to myself. Then I was seeing my parents …. and I told them in person.
“I saw all my mates - they came over for a feed - I was pretty casual about it. I said I am actually the captain. They all got a bit emotional and were really proud of me.
“Same with mum and dad. As I said, I just wanted to make it all pretty casual but it is obviously a massive deal.”
Even bigger if the Kangaroos go on to win the World Cup, which would make Tedesco among a select few players to have captained Australia to victory in the tournament.
They head in as raging favourites to defend their title but the challenge is arguably greater than ever given the way the Pacific Island nations have strengthened in recent months.
“I really want to set an example,” Tedesco said.
“To be awarded this now and have this opportunity, it is pretty special.”
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