Penrith premiership winner Liam Martin ruled out of Pacific Championship with injury

The long list of superstars unavailable for the Pacific Championships has grown meaning there could be even more international first-timers for Australia.

Add Clive Churchill medallist Liam Martin to the long list of injured stars unavailable for the Pacific Championships after the Penrith premiership winner withdrew from the Kangaroos squad.

Canberra Raiders gun Hudson Young, who has played three games for NSW in State of Origin, is now in line for an international debut when Australia takes on Tonga in Brisbane on October 18.

Martin, who was named in coach Mal Meninga’s 21-player squad on Monday, played through the grand final win with shoulder and rib problems revealing after the game he had painkillers every week from round four to cope with the pain from a debilitating shoulder injury.

He joins superstar teammate Nathan Cleary, who needs a shoulder operation, as a no-show for Australia.

The Pacific Championships will be without a host of players from several sides with Melbourne Storm star Cameron Munster among those to miss for Australia.

As part of what Meninga called the “evolution” of the Kangaroos, he picked eight first-timers in his original squad, with the inclusion of Young set to make that nine players in line to make their international debut.

Hudson Young of the Raiders (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

New Zealand have been hit even harder with injuries and won’t have the likes of Dylan Brown (knee), Kieran Foran (ankle), Moses Leota (shoulder), Te Maire Martin (neck), Brandon Smith (knee), Jeremy Marshall-King (knee) and Nelson Asofa-Solomona (suspended) with Joey Manu switching to rugby union.

Tonga called up Martin’s Penrith teammate, Paul Alamoti in to a loaded squad for the clash with Australia.

NRL heavyweights Jason Taumalolo, Addin Fonua-Blake, Daniel Tupou and South Sydney’s Keaon Koloamatangi and Manly’s Haumole Olakau’atu loom as a tough prospect for Meninga’s inexperienced squad.

The Kangaroos were smashed 30-0 in last year’s Pacific Championships final. .

Originally published as Penrith premiership winner Liam Martin ruled out of Pacific Championship with injury