Manu beats out Teddy
JOEY Manu has bounced back from defeat in the World Cup semi-final to score not one but two victories over his Sydney Roosters teammate James Tedesco this week.
Tedesco, however, may yet have the last laugh.
Manu picked up the Golden Boot award as the game’s best international player at the Australian team hotel on Tuesday (AEDT).
Earlier in the day he was named in the team of the tournament for the World Cup, beating Tedesco to the coveted fullback position.
Tedesco won’t be too concerned, given he may get the biggest prize of all as he prepares to lead the Kangaroos onto Old Trafford on Saturday night (AEDT) in pursuit of the World Cup.
Manu was one of only two New Zealand players in the team of the tournament. Australia fared only slightly better with four. Samoa, the Kangaroos’ opponents on Saturday night, had five.
Tim Lafai was among them, named in the centres ahead of Jack Wighton and Latrell Mitchell.
Other Australian players had the right to feel snubbed. Valentine Holmes has been outstanding on the wing and Angus Crichton a standout in the second row.
So too Patrick Carrigan in the front row. Their omission has given the Kangaroos extra ammunition heading into the weekend as they prepare for a historic occasion at the home of Manchester United.
Of the five Samoan players in the team of the tournament, arguably their most dangerous player was nowhere to be seen.
Like Tedesco, Joseph Suaalii was overlooked in favour of Manu by the judging panel but Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga refuses to underestimate the teenage Sydney Roosters star.
Meninga wanted to bring Suaalii on tour with the Kangaroos but lost out to Samoa. He refuses to hold a grudge.
He also hit back at the implication that Samoan players were playing with more passion than the Australians.
“I am pretty happy that he made a choice,” Meninga said. “I want players playing with passion. He wants to play for Samoa and he has a passion for it. I am really happy with my 25 players putting on the green and gold because they want to be there too.
“We are no less passionate or committed than any other team. I think it has been great for the game for players to play for whoever they want to play, particularly their ancestral nation.
“We will come up with a plan to try to nullify him (Suaalii). We know he will run the ball back hard and we have to handle that.