NRL 2024: Australia Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga signs 3-year contract extension

Almost 10-months on from the worst loss in the Kangaroos’ 116-year history, Mal Meninga has opened up on the shock defeat and his new three-year contract.

The Kangaroos will be out for redemption after a shocking record 30-0 loss to New Zealand in the 2023 Men's Pacific Championship Final. Picture: Getty Images

A rejuvenated Mal Meninga has declared Test football can be bigger than State of Origin as the Kangaroos coach celebrates a new deal to lead Australia’s revenge mission.

This masthead can reveal the NRL will on Friday unveil the draw for the 2024 Pacific Championships that will see the Test tournament played in four countries across four consecutive weekends in October and November.

And the ARL Commission is putting faith in Meninga to spearhead Australia’s fightback following their shock 30-0 loss to New Zealand in last year’s Pacific Championships final horror show in Hamilton.

Meninga has formally signed a three-year extension through to the 2026 World Cup and the NRL Immortal says he will not be content until he rectifies the worst loss in Australia’s 116-year history.

Australia head coach Mal Meninga has formally signed a three-year contract extension. Picture: Getty Images

Origin is widely regarded as the code’s showpiece but Meninga wants the green-and-gold to remain the most cherished jumper in the game as he looks to bring down Pacific champions the Kiwis.

“Revenge is what’s on my mind,” Meninga said.

“The pinnacle of any game is to pull on your country’s jersey.

“People assume that Origin is the benchmark for players, but anyone who loves their country aspires to go one step further than that.

“Representing your country is your greatest personal reward and it doesn’t get any bigger than pulling on a Kangaroos jersey.

“It gets my back up reading about what Michael Maguire did with the New Zealand side last year.

“I want to prove that we’re still No.1 and that starts straight away with this upcoming Pacific Championships.”

The Kangaroos will be out for redemption after a shocking record 30-0 loss to New Zealand in the 2023 Men's Pacific Championship Final. Picture: Getty Images

Meninga’s quest for redemption begins in October when Australia takes on Tonga at Suncorp Stadium, before a grudge match with the Kiwis in Christchurch.

The Pacific Championships final - should Australia qualify - is slated for November at Sydney’s CommBank Stadium.

Under a revamped format, the Pacific Championships will witness a promotion and relegation system for both the men’s and women’s tournaments.

Fiji, Cook Islands and PNG will take part in a second-tier Pacific Bowl tournament.

The winner of the Bowl will then face the third-placed team from Australia, New Zealand or Tonga in a promotion-relegation playoff fixture.

There were fears Meninga could be axed following last year’s 30-0 Kiwi debacle, but his new three-year deal is a statement of faith in the Kangaroos legend’s blueprint for World Cup domination.

Meninga, who has won 23 of 26 Tests as Australia coach, says he is hungrier than ever to make the Kangaroos world champions again.

“I was bewildered, disappointed, gutted,” he said of last year’s Pacific Championships drubbing.

“You look at yourself, don’t you? There’s a few things I could have done better as coach, so that’s the thing that upsets me, and I just can’t move on until I rectify that.

“We had a poor day. That wasn’t a green-and-gold performance.

“We’ve been so dominant for many years and we want to maintain that dominance heading towards the World Cup in 2026.”

Tickets are available here and hospitality packages for Pacific Championships matches in Brisbane & Sydney are available here.

Originally published as NRL 2024: Australia Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga signs 3-year contract extension