BIG ROOS LET LOOSE
Samoa set to feel the Aussie heat as Meninga turns to stars
AUSTRALIA are expected to trot out their best 17 in their Rugby League World Cup quarterfinal against Samoa in Darwin on Friday night.
The only positions up for grabs in Mal Meninga’s side are five-eighth and the bench utility spot.
Melbourne playmaker Cameron Munster made a compelling case to beat Michael Morgan and James Maloney for the No.6 jersey with a two-try effort against Lebanon on Friday. Meninga is expected to go for a four-forward bench rotation – with temperatures expected to top 33C in Darwin on Friday - with Wade Graham tipped to get the nod for the utility position.
“The conditions will definitely play a part in the final 17,” skipper Cameron Smith said. “There’s only three or four guys who have been up to Darwin and played there. We’re all quite unfamiliar with the conditions so we just want to get up there nice and early, get outdoors and get into our training routine.”
THEY ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard, but Dominic and Benedict Macumboy will still go home with smiles on their faces.
The Lockhart River brothers were members of the Deadly Roos side that played Rugby League Samoa Queensland at Barlow Park on Saturday in a curtain-raiser to the Samoa v Scotland World Cup game.
The Samoan side was just too good in the end, holding on for a 20-18 victory.
The Macumboys were half of a contingent of players from the Cape region in the side and said they looked forward to sharing their experiences back in their communities.
Benedict Macumboy, a roadworker back home, said he was shocked just to get the chance to wear the green and gold and hoped it would inspire others.
“We’ll have yarn to them young fellas, tell them to keep their eyes up because if we can make it, two young fellas from Lockhart, they can make it,” he said.
Macumboy said all the talk in Lockhart was about rugby league.
His favourite team is the LOCAL HEROES: Dominic and Benedict Macumboy. Cowboys and his player Kyle Feldt.
“He’s a good player, big kicks. I play on the wing too,” he said. “We pretty much go down to the oval and play touch footy every day and chuck the ball around with some younger fellas.”
Macumboy said he had noticed the difference the Deadly Choices program had made in the community.
“They’ve been selling more fruit and veggies at the shops there in Lockhart,” he said. favourite
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