Meninga: Kangaroos expecting hostile crowd for RLWC final

Proud Australian coach Mal Meninga accepts a large majority of the 75,000 fans packed into Manchester’s famous Old Trafford ground for Saturday’s Rugby League World Cup final will be cheering underdogs Samoa to pull off a historic upset.

Samoa is hoping to become the first country in history outside of the big three — Australia, England, and New Zealand — to win the World Cup.

“A lot of people out there don’t want us to be successful and we don’t hide from that,” Meninga told SEN’s Brisbane radio host Ben Davis from Manchester after the Kangaroos qualified for the final with a hard-fought 28-26 win over New Zealand.

“We know everyone is going to be supporting Samoa globally, celebrities are already getting behind them.

“This is going to be huge globally, this little pacific nation, not far off Australia, making the World Cup final.

“They’re the first team that has ever made it. It’s a great story for international rugby league.

“It’s a great chance for rugby league to showcase its game globally to places like America and the rest of the world and we know most will be cheering for Samoa.”

READ: Australia fend off New Zealand to get into RLWC final

Meninga will stick with the same squad which absorbed a lot of punishment before beating the Kiwis last weekend.

“It was a tough game — I would suggest one of the toughest Test matches I’ve been involved with,” said Meninga.

That’s quite a statement from one of the game’s most decorated players who represented Australia in 64 Tests — 46 of them wearing the green and gold, and 18 as national coach.

The only man to go on four Kangaroo tours (two as captain), a dual Hall-of-Famer (Sport Australia 1994 and Australian Rugby League 2003), and fittingly inducted into the game’s exclusive Immortals club in 2018 along with Dally Messenger and Norm Provan, Meninga has one of the best resumes in history.

“The boys are still sore today, it was a very physical game,” he said.

“Both teams went at it physically and 48 hours after the game they’re still sore.”

Meninga ruled out making any late changes to his squad for the final.

“I doubt there will be any changes unless something drastic happens.”

Meninga disagreed that Samoa had “over-achieved” in the tournament.

“I think they’re a really good footy. It was a shock to everyone when England gave them a belting in the first round,” he said.

“They’ve got two of the best props and the best halfback in the world.

“They’ve got it together at the right time of the tournament.”

Meninga said he would definitely sound out his three Penrith players to find a chink in Samoa.

“We’ll pick their brains don’t worry.”

Meninga had no issue with Junior Paulo being cleared to play after being reported for a tip-up tackle on England forward Tom Burgess in the semi.

The coach said Australia wanted to beat the best Samoan team possible, and that included Paulo.

The clash between long-time friends and Penrith teammates Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary will be fascinating, with Luai declaring friendships would count for nothing on the battlefield.

“They will all be enemies,” he said when asked about lining up against three of his NRL teammates in the final.

Meninga said rugby league was a game built on confrontation.

“You’ve got to be physical, you can’t have friends out there,” he said.

“You play jerseys, not names, and we’re playing against the Samoan jersey.

“Regardless of who is in the jersey, it could be your best mate, you want to beat them.”

Australia has won 11 World Cup titles and the last two in 2013 and 2017.

Samoa will have to make a few forced changes with Fa’amanu-Brown missing the final with concussion protocols and hooker Danny Levi being forced to return to Australia for personal reasons.

Australia’s Jillaroos, meanwhile, will play fierce rival New Zealand in the women’s final, also at Old Trafford, after brushing aside Papua New Guinea 82-0.

New Zealand did it a bit tougher, eliminating England 20-6 in the other semi.

Sydney Roosters star Isabelle Kelly, who will be chasing her second World Cup title, grabbed three of Australia’s 15 tries in the runaway finals win.

Meanwhile, overnight reports suggest Roosters forward Victor Radley is being investigated following a scuffle at England’s team hotel with Ireland’s international James Bentley, who was invited back by some England players but later asked to leave.

Early information suggests Bentley was the aggressor.

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