The Kangaroos face the very real possibility of relegation from the Pacific Cup as they prepare to meet Tonga in the opening match of a tournament that Mal Meninga has declared is bigger than Origin.
Despite last year’s record 30-0 loss to the Kiwis in the Pacific Cup final, Meninga’s Australian team is still No.1 in the IRL World Rankings but the World Cup holders could be in for a dramatic fall from grace if they don’t rectify recent results.
For those assuming normal service will resume when new captain Isaah Yeo leads the Kangaroos on to Suncorp Stadium against Tonga on Friday night, consider this:
Australia’s last Test against Tonga was a 16-12 defeat at Eden Park in 2019
The Kangaroos last Test against the Kiwis was a 30-0 thrashing last November
Tongan coach Kristian Woolf said his current squad – led by Jason Taumalolo and Addin Fonua-Blake – was the best since the Pacific nation stunned Australia and Great Britain in 2019.
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