Not much speculation from this site yet.
We haven't had a Kangaroo Tour since the early 2000's. My experience is that traditionally these tours had a tremendous influence on player development.
Obviously to be selected means they are already well established but the improvement tends to be the "polishing of good players into elite ones".
Whether this trend continues in this new modern era OF THE ONGOING RE ESTABLISHMENT of the International game is subjective. Kangaroo sides used to number in the 26 players from memory.
In those days they had a mix but generally the second side call the EMUs played the club games (there were lots of them) and the big boys played the tests, after injuries and reserves, everyone got their chance to make it big!
I note that only 22 players are being selected, they are playing 3 Tests against Great Britain and I understand 3 club games.
Now it is early days yet and tradionally the teams that play in the Grand Final have a big advantage in selection processes. So everyone keep that in Mind!
This time will be different as a number of positions that tend to get influenced by origin incumbents will be different with the ongoing advent of Polynesian players playing for their country of origin/allegience rather than Australia.
One final thing to point out is players available for positions can create an inbalance in the team i.e half backs .....Cleary, Moses, Deardon, Katoa and even others...... wingers will be hard, as will fullbacks and a second hooker.
i will start the drum rolling by saying Parra has Moses, Lomax and JAC in consideration ???? none of them certainties, but most will think Moses is.
Let the speculation begin and you could change your positions as the final series unravels.
PS Don't be afraid to list out who you think were the greatest Kangeroo sides.....personally I was and still am that the 1963 side was the greatest of all but the 83 and 86 sides will come into discussion.
The 63 side had the Thornett Brothers, Brian Hambly and Barry Rushworth from Parramatta
The 83 and 86 sides had a mixture of Price, Sterling, Kenny, Ella, Cronin and Grothe Snr...... (From Parra)I have done all this from my shaky memory, so I stand to be corrected in any of these details.
Parra Tragic (in the absence of the great Sluggo) can be the judge and jury in that respect, he remembers much more detail than me .
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Hi Poppa,
Not having a go at you but just wandering why you say the 83' tour when i'm pretty sure it was 82'
6 Parra players made that tour: Kenny, Sterling, Ella, Grothe, Price & Muggleton, they went away with Mortimer & Lewis as the 6 & 7 (Lewis was actually vice captain of the squad) but Sterlo & Kenny changed that quick smart!
No that's fine, I do these things out of my head, interestingly enough I always got the 62/63 series as 2 years and cannot remember why. Dementia is an excuse these days, you should see me with my grandkids names, I even confuse them with our dogs. We were just baby sitting 4 dogs at our house for a week....one was called Coco and I called her Cobo, Another was Nellie and I called her Keely (17 year old granddaughter).....we also have a Marley who I call Harley.....our own one is Annie and I call her Bella after our last dog. 3 sons and I mix them up and shit do you think I dont get into trouble with my daughters in law when I call them after my sons ex's. LOL
PS I thought of Muggleton at the time and wasn't sure so I left him out.....one of the emu's I think. I know Muggleton quiet well and no excuse he went to Marist Brothers Parramatta. Wouldn't be surprised if I missed one in the 63 side either. I know Ron Lynch was virtually on the plane and he broke a leg in a trial he didn't need to play in and missed out.
I used to love the Kangaroo tours and all the games. Same as when the English came here "The Lions Tour". I was at the ground when an early 90's Eels beat the poms, Lions. A great night.
This years tour to England is apparently not to be called a Kanagaroos tour, as club sides are not being played . We don't have a huge squad only 22 being taken for 3 test matches. The assistant coaches for Kevvie have to be already working in England as well. It's bizzare that Kevvie can't pick his staff from Australia.
We are also slated to play one warm up match against the French international side and that's it, I think.
Yeah, i used to love the tours of the old days, they used to make the off season go so much quicker as well