The two Toyota Cowboys remaining in contention for the Kangaroos’ Four Nations squad, Gavin Cooper and Michael Morgan, have missed out on making the final squad of 24 announced in Sydney today.
With incumbents Johnathan Thurston (shoulder), James Tamou (neck) and Matt Scott (shoulder) already ruled out due to injury, it will be a Cowboy-free Australian team that will take on England, New Zealand and Samoa.
It’s been more than four years – the 2010 clash with New Zealand at AAMI Park in Melbourne – since the Kangaroos played a Test match without a Cowboy in their lineup.
Ten players have been selected to make their Test debuts in this year’s Four Nations tournament, which begins with a double header at Suncorp Stadium on 25 October.
“We have a really good blend of experience and youth,” Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens said.
“The positive for me is the experience that even the debutants have.
“We have a high proportion of State of Origin representatives and premiership winners and they all deserve to wear the jumper.”
Morgan, who played in the Prime Minister’s XIII team on Sunday in PNG, and Cooper were named in the Kangaroos’ train-on squad when North Queensland were eliminated from finals contention.
Cowboys NRL assistant coach David Furner will again be Sheens’s assistant for the Four Nations.
KANGAROOS FOUR NATIONS SQUAD:
Greg Bird (Gold Coast Titans)
Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
Boyd Cordner (Sydney Roosters)
Cooper Cronk (Melbourne Storm)
Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers)
Aidan Guerra (Sydney Roosters)
Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta Eels)
Ryan Hoffman (Melbourne Storm)
Ben Hunt (Brisbane Broncos)
Greg Inglis (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Josh Jackson (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
Michael Jennings (Sydney Roosters)
Alex Johnston (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
David Klemmer (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
Josh Mansour (Penrith Panthers)
Sione Mata’utia (Newcastle Knights)
Josh Papalii (Canberra Raiders)
Corey Parker (Brisbane Broncos)
Beau Scott (Newcastle Knights)
Cameron Smith (c) (Melbourne Storm)
Sam Thaiday (Brisbane Broncos)
Daniel Tupou (Sydney Roosters)
Dylan Walker (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Aaron Woods (Wests Tigers)
