Four things learnt from Kangaroos’ triumph of Tonga

Given his prowess at centre, suggestions have circulated he could be used there more permanently for the Sea Eagles, and the emergence of Lehi Hopoate could facilitate that.

Hopoate earned his first Tonga appearance in Friday night’s defeat, and the 19-year-old stood up to keep his side in the hunt.

Finishing with 166 metres and a linebreak, Hopoate carried on the form of his rookie NRL season in which he scored nine tries from his 14 appearances, while averaging 125 running metres and more than three tackle busts a game.

He came up with a brilliant one-on-one tackle on a runaway Cameron Murray to save what looked a certain try. However, he was ultimately sent to the sin bin for failing to get back onside as he attempted to stop Harry Grant from diving over on the next play.

While Hopoate finished the year on Manly’s wing, his brave efforts – particularly his efforts defusing several Kangaroos’ kicking raids – will not have gone unnoticed by Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold.

“We put him there for a reason – we trusted him – and if you watch him in the NRL he’s one of those guys who just comes up with plays. He plays a lot bigger than he looks, he’s brave every week, and he comes up with big plays every week.”

Tonga coach Kristian Woolf on Lehi Hopoate

New-look halves fail to lock down spots

Tom Dearden and Mitchell Moses forged a new-look Kangaroos halves pairing, as incumbents Cameron Munster and Nathan Cleary braced for off season groin and shoulder surgeries respectively.

But while the pair were brilliant in this year’s State of Origin series, and for their respective clubs, they never quite clicked into gear in their first outings for Australia.

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The Kangaroos attack looked clunky throughout the first half, and even into the second they rarely linked up, only once combining to great effect in the lead up to Tabuai-Fidow’s try.

Moses’ kicking was, while not poor, not as clinical as his efforts for the Blues, while Dearden sent a pass into touch and did not back his trademark running game as frequently until the death, when he bamboozled the defence with a minute remaining to score.

That cohesion was hardly helped by the surrounding men, with the Kangaroos coming up with a whopping 20 errors to Tonga’s nine.

It must be said as well this was their first game together, and they will no doubt be better for the run against New Zealand – particularly Moses, who was playing his first game since round 18 due to a ruptured biceps, and had played just eight NRL games this year.

However, if they are to make life difficult for Cleary and Munster to return to the Test arena next year, they will need to find their mojo quickly.

“That’s to be expected. Mitch hasn’t played for quite a while, Tommy as well. I’m really happy, considering the short preparation period … we could probably be better with the footy, but we’ve got a few debutants.”

Mal Meninga on the Kangaroos’ halves

Katoa’s tough night out

He may be regarded as the NRL’s leading young halfback, but Isaiya Katoa showed there would still be plenty of work ahead before he becomes the finished product.

And fair enough too, given he is a 20-year-old rookie in just his second season.

A credit to the Dolphins star is that he never stopped trying, it was just one of those nights where his usually trusty kicking game was simply a bit off and a bit heavy.

After forcing an early drop out, his work off the boot became a case of so near yet so far – almost pulling off a 40/20 from deep inside his own half, only for the ball to take a luckless bounce and roll dead.

He also sent two kick-offs out on the full, while his 34 tackles were the most he has made in a game during his career.

“That was the difference in the game, when you play Australia they know all those plays – all the repeat sets they got, their kicking game in general they nailed it, and we just didn’t quite get that right,” Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf said.

“It didn’t happen for Isaiya, but Isaiya is an outstanding young player and an outstanding young man. He’ll be the hardest marker on himself, and I have no doubt he’ll be better in our next game.”

Australia’s back five thwarts Tongan size

This year’s Origin series was, in part, defined by the Blues’ dominance through the middle, with the size of their pack dwarfing a Maroons outfit missing injured stars Thomas Flegler, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Tom Gilbert.

That narrative threatened to be the case in Brisbane, with the Tongan forwards out muscling Australia by 88kg.

But it was the Kangaroos’ back five who worked overtime to give their forwards a platform to work off.

Trbojevic, Tabuai-Fidow (144m, eight tackle busts), Xavier Coates (246m), Zac Lomax (155m, four tackle busts) and Dylan Edwards (167m) were all tireless coming out of their own end, allowing the men up front to take in some air and get into the grind in strong territory.

“It felt like we asked a lot of our outside backs, although they did a wonderful job. They do it at clubland, that’s obviously their strength, but to do it on the big stage with the Australian jersey, that’s another level.”

Kangaroos captain Isaah Yeo on the back five