One New Zealand Warriors prop Mitchell Barnett has been handed his Kangaroos Test debut in Friday night’s opening match of the Pacific Championships against Tonga at Suncorp Stadium.
The 30-year-old Simon Mannering Medallist has been included on the interchange setting him up for yet another career highlight at Suncorp Stadium.
It was there that he made his impressive State of Origin debut from the bench in New South Wales’ series-clinching 14-4 win over Queensland in July while it was also in Brisbane that he was outstanding leading the One New Zealand Warriors to a pulsating, drought-ending 22-20 win over premier Penrith in the NRL’s Magic Round.
One of six players selected for their maiden Test appearances on Friday night, Barnett will likely find himself going head-to-head at some stage of the contest with departing clubmate and Tonga co-captain Addin Fonua-Blake.
Former Warriors Tuimoala Lolohea, Siliva Havili and Eliesa Katoa have also been named for Tonga while the Warriors’ New South Wales Cup coach David Tangata-Toa is on Tonga’s coaching staff.
Barnett will become Kangaroo #856 while Australia’s other debutants are Tom Dearden and Mitchell Moses in the halves, wingers Zac Lomax and Xavier Coates and Hudson Young on the bench.
This will be only the third time the Kangaroos and Tonga have met and the first time in Australia.
The first contest was a home one for Australia played at Go Media Stadium in 2018, a year after Tonga’s stunning performance at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup in New Zealand.
In front of a crowd of 26,214, the Kangaroos won 34-16 but a year later they were rocked 16-12 by the Tongans in the main game of a tripleheader at Eden Park with an attendance of 25,257.
2024 PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Australian Kangaroos
1 Dylan Edwards (Penrith Panthers)
2 Xavier Coates (Melbourne Storm)
3 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (Dolphins)
4 Tom Trbojevic (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
5 Zac Lomax (St George Illawarra Dragons)
6 Tom Dearden (North Queensland Cowboys)
7 Mitchell Moses (Parramatta Eels)
8 Patrick Carrigan (Brisbane Broncos)
9 Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm) vice-captain
10 Lindsay Collins (Sydney Roosters)
11 Angus Crichton (Sydney Roosters)
12 Cameron Murray (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
13 Isaah Yeo (Penrith Panthers) captain
Interchange:
14 Matt Burton (Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs)
15 Mitchell Barnett (One New Zealand Warriors)
16 Reuben Cotter (North Queensland Cowboys)
17 Hudson Young (Canberra Raiders)
Reserves:
18 Ben Hunt (St George Illawarra Dragons)
19 Lindsay Smith (Penrith Panthers)
20 Reece Robson (North Queensland Cowboys)
21 Bradman Best (Newcastle Knights)
Tonga
1 Lehi Hopoate (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
2 Daniel Tupou (Sydney Roosters)
3 Mosese Suli (St George Illawarra)
4 Paul Alamoti (Penrith Panthers)
5 Sione Katoa (Cronulla Sutherland Sharks)
6 Tuimoala Lolohea (Huddersfield Giants)
7 Isaiya Katoa (Dolphins)
8 Addin Fonua-Blake (One New Zealand Warriors) co-captain
9 Siliva Havili (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
10 Felise Kaufusi (Dolphins)
11 Haumole Olakau’atu (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
12 Eliesa Katoa (Melbourne Storm)
13 Jason Taumalolo (North Queensland Cowboys) co-captain
Interchange:
14 Soni Luke (Penrith Panthers)
15 Sitili Tupouniua (Sydney Roosters)
16 Taniela Paseka (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
17 Keaon Kolomatangi (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Reserves:
18 Toluta Koula (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
19 Siua Wong (Sydney Roosters)
20 Isaiah Iongi (Penrith Panthers)
21 Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (North Queensland Cowboys)
