Beware the wounded Roos
Australian coach Mel Meninga pulled no punches when he fronted the media after his side’s loss to New Zealand on Saturday, and the players heard him loud and clear.
‘‘I don’t like losing,’’ he said. ‘‘None of us do.’’
And that’s because it’s something the boys in green and gold don’t do too often.
The Kangaroos are rugby league’s equivalent of the All Blacks in terms of their dominance.
And while they might drop the odd game here and there, they hardly ever suffer back-to-back defeats.
In fact since 1980, the Kangaroos have lost two games in a row just once – to New Zealand in 2014-15.
Through that period their winloss record is an astonishing 118-19, with three draws.
On Saturday, they head back to Mt Smart to face Mate Ma’a Tonga, off the back of the Kiwis loss.
With history and the oddsmakers already against Tonga, Australia also received an extra shot in the arm in the form of fighting words from their coach.
Speaking after the Kiwis defeat, Meninga warned his side would bounce back in a big way.
‘‘I can assure you, we will be ready [for Tonga],’’ he said.
‘‘I’m excited with the talent in this footy team. Another week with these great players, we will be better.’’
It’s a sellout crowd in Auckland, with the red and white army ready to pack Mt Smart, something Kangaroos’ back-rower Felise Kaufusi is well aware of.
Kaufusi is one of nine in his family, and in a unique position come Saturday.
He was born in Auckland, like five of his siblings. He is of Tongan descent, but will run out in the green and gold of Australia on Saturday.
The 26-year-old said the Kangaroos were hurting after the New Zealand loss and that the coach’s message had been received.
‘‘I don’t know if it adds any pressure [Meninga’s comments] Tonga’s historic clash against the Kangaroos is officially a sellout.
The full house signs went up at Mt Smart Stadium yesterday after the final release of tickets for Saturday’s test flew out the door.
The stadium attendance record for a rugby league match of 30,003 was only set last November in Tonga’s World Cup semifinal against England.
But that could be under threat as the tiny Pacific Island nation take on the world champion Kangaroos for the first time.
‘‘The level of interest in this game has been staggering so it will be great to see the house full sign up outside Mt Smart Stadium this Saturday,’’ NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg said.
but definitely we know we have to be better and that message was received,’’ he said. ‘‘We half-beat ourselves last weekend. We will prepare as best we can and try to get over the Tongans.’’
Kaufusi still has family Auckland who will be in at
Saturday’s game, though he admits he’s not quite sure who they will be supporting just yet.
‘‘I think even dad was going to wear the half-red, half-green jumper,’’ he said. ‘‘A bit of banter but it’s all good, I’m excited for the clash.’’