Manu ruled out of TongaAustralia game
BRISBANE: Captain Sika Manu has been ruled out of Tonga’s historic rugby league test against Australia after suffering a seasonending knee injury.
He received the injury in Hull FC’s UK Super League lastround loss to St Helens, only days after coach Kristian Woolf named his initial 29strong squad.
The 31yearold backrower has amassed 11 tests for the Mate Ma’a since switching his allegiance from New Zealand in 2013.
But the former Melbourne and Penrith NRL forward will miss Tonga’s first test against the Kangaroos in Auckland on October 20.
‘‘Sika is the latest member of our squad to be ruled out for the remainder of the season and it’s gutting for us,’’ Hull FC coach Lee Radford said.
‘‘It’s gutting for him, too, because he’ll miss Tonga’s game against Australia next month, which would have been a great experience for him.’’
Woolf otherwise still has his strongest Tonga squad at his disposal, after Brisbane forward Tevita Pangai resisted pledging his allegiance to Australia, to spearhead the Mate Ma’a pack with Cronulla star Andrew Fifita and North Queensland’s Jason Taumalolo.
Pangai had been toying with making himself available for NSW’s State of Origin side next year.
Scott Sorensen — nephew of Kiwi greats Dane and Kurt Sorensen — is Tonga’s latest convert.
The Cronulla forward was named in the extended squad.
Sorensen will feature off the bench in the Sharks’ Friday night preliminary final against Melbourne.
The 29strong squad has a monster pack and a backline speed to burn, with Warriors’ NRL top tryscorer David Fusitu’a, Parramatta’s Michael Jennings, Canterbury’s Will Hopoate, South Sydney winger Robert Jennings and the Sydney Roosters’ Daniel Tupou included.
The final squad will be named next month, before Woolf takes Tonga on a 10day camp. — AAP