The 2025 Kangaroo touring team has now had almost as many defections as a John le Carre spy thriller, and more dropouts than a 1970s Byron Bay commune, with the list of players announcing their unavailability to join Kevin Walters Australian team on this year’s jaunt to England seemingly growing by the day.
At this rate, and allowing for the usual run of injuries during the finals and the chance that some players may suddenly discover either an English or Polynesian grandparent on Ancestry.com, Kevvie’s team might begin to look more like a rugby league supporters tour than a team capable of retaining the ashes.
The latest problem facing Walters is the unavailability of Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic.
This trio would have most likely fought out the centre positions as well as provided cover for both fullback and wing, and although more at home at fullback in the NRL, they have played almost all of their representative football in the centres, and with great effect.
Without these three, and apart from Newcastle’s hard running Bradman Best, Walters has very little centre depth to choose from, and I believe that the answer to his problem is Canberra five-eighth Ethan Strange.
Tom Trbojevic. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
After first announcing his prodigious talent to the rugby league world in 2024, making the lime green No.6 jersey his own, Strange had a breakout season this year and is the name on everyone’s lips in the national capital.
The problem for Strange though, is that Walters is blessed with strength in the halves with the likes of Nathan Cleary, Cameron Munster, Tom Dearden and Mitchell Moses all likely to be included in the 22-man Kangaroo squad, so no room for Strange there, but plenty of room in the centres.
Strange has very little experience playing in the outside backs but looks to be built for it, and at 21 years of age could adapt very quickly.
At 190cm tall and tipping the scales at around 95kg, Strange is as big as most centres in the game and has the physicality to go with it. He has speed to burn, a deadly side-step, is a strong defender and is just as likely to run over the top of an opponent as around him.
He has the confident attitude and youthful swagger necessary to succeed in representative football and is certainly tough enough – just ask Jeral Skelton who’s still recovering after unsuccessfully trying to level Strange with one of his bellringers.
Strange certainly won’t be the first five eighth to find himself wearing the number three or four Australian jersey. Canberra legends Laurie Daley and Jack Wighton did it with ease, as did Brad Fittler, Brett Kenny was a master in either position, and even renowned five eighth in Aussie coach Kevin Walters played in the centres with success when required.
If Walters needed any more incentive to hand Ethan Strange a Kangaroo jumper it’s to keep him out of the clutches of the England side.
Like his sister Jasmin, who plays NRLW for the Roosters, Ethan is eligible to play for England, and if he doesn’t play centre and sees him stuck behind Cleary, Moses, Dearden and Munster for a Kangaroo halves spot, perhaps he’ll follow hi sister’s lead and play for the enemy. Unthinkable!
Come on Kevvie – get it done.
Tonyhttps://https://ift.tt/VP1Jhq7 for some Strange love: Walters should centre his attention on rising Raider
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