Ex-Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga confident Australia can overcome potential loss of Payne Haas, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
New Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters shouldn’t need to plead with three key players to play for Australia, according to Mal Meninga.
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Former national coach Mal Meninga says there are other potential Kangaroos players “just as good” as Payne Haas, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow if the trio choose to represent Samoa over Australia.
Star forwards Haas and Fa’asuamaleaui and the electrifying Tabuai-Fidow are all understood to be leaning towards turning down the chance to play for the Kangaroos in the upcoming three-Test series against England to instead represent Samoa in the Pacific Championships.
With Meninga having stood down as Kangaroos coach after being appointed to lead the Perth Bears, Kevin Walters is Australia’s new coach and has indicated he will speak to Haas, Fa’asuamaleaui and Tabuai-Fidow about their representative intentions.
And while Meninga said it was “important” for Walters to speak to the three players, he suggested that the new Kangaroos mentor shouldn’t plead for them to play for Australia but simply ask if they wanted to or not.
“That’s my belief,” Meninga told SENQ Breakfast.
“We’re not going to deny that if those players aren’t available, we still haven’t got some great players to take their spots.
“They (Haas, Fa’asuamaleaui and Tabuai-Fidow) are all great players but there are other players who are just as good.
“We’ve just got to see what their view is first because if you understand their view, then you understand what you need to do to move forward.
“All those traditions that Pacific Island teams have is alluring to players, so we’ve got to provide a similar type of environment around what is an Aussie and who do we represent and what do we celebrate.
“We do it a fair bit in the First Nations space, but we also celebrate other cultures as well throughout the (Kangaroo) program.
“We work really hard on that because we know that really appeals to players going back to play for the Pacific nations.”
Originally published as Ex-Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga confident Australia can overcome potential loss of Payne Haas, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
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