Koroibete named in Wallabies Spring Tour squad

[The InnFORCEr]

Today at 2:23 PM International
Beth Newman



Melbourne Storm flyer Marika Koroibete could make his Wallabies debut before playing Super Rugby, after being named in the Spring Tour squad.

Koroibete could be the first player to make his Wallabies debut before his maiden Super Rugby outing since Tatafu Polota-Nau debuted in 2005, before a 2006 Super Rugby start with the Waratahs.

Matt Giteau was the most recent before that, playing his first Test in 2002 before making any provincial appearances, running out in Super Rugby for the Brumbies from 2003.

The 24-year-old played 74 NRL matches, scoring 46 tries, most recently playing in the NRL grand final with the Storm.

Kyle Godwin and Tolu Latu are the only other uncapped players in the 32-man squad to depart for Europe on Friday.

Will Genia has been named in the squad, but won’t be eligible to play outside the November Test window, ruling him out of the tour opener against Wales and the final Test against England.

Samu Kerevi has been ruled out of the tour, set for ankle surgery after suffering a syndesmosis injury in Australia’s loss to New Zealand in Auckland.

The Wallabies will be vying for their second Grand Slam in history, after last achieving the feat of beating England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales in 1984.

Australia made its most recent Grand Slam attempt in 2013, falling to England before beating Italy, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.


IN: Will Genia, Kyle Godwin, Marika Koroibete

OUT: Samu Kerevi, Luke Morahan

Allan Alaalatoa, Rory Arnold, Adam Coleman, Quade Cooper, Kane Douglas, Scott Fardy, Israel Folau, Bernard Foley, Nick Frisby, Will Genia, Kyle Godwin*James Hanson, Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge, Michael Hooper, Sekope Kepu, Marika Koroibete*, Tevita Kuridrani, Tolu Latu*, Sean McMahon, Stephen Moore, Dean Mumm, Sefanaia Naivalu, Nick Phipps, David Pocock, Tom Robertson, Rob Simmons, Scott Sio, Will Skelton, Henry Speight, James Slipper, Lopeti Timani

2016 Spring Tour schedule

Wales vs Qantas Wallabies at Millennium Stadium, 6th November 1.30am AEDT

Scotland vs Qantas Wallabies at Murrayfield, 13th November, 1.30am AEDT

France vs Qantas Wallabies at Stade de France, 20th November, 7.00am AEDT

Ireland vs Qantas Wallabies at Aviva Stadium, 27th November, 4.30am AEDT

England vs Qantas Wallabies at Twickenham, 4th December, 1.30am AEDT

http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2016/10...d-announcement

[WF2006]

No Benny Mac

[RugbyReg]

Koroibete over Morahan sucks large dogs balls.

[Alison]

Koroibete over Morahan sucks large dogs balls.

Agree Reg!!!!!!!

[MI5_Dog]

Mozza deserves to be there more than Koroibete (or Godwin to tell the truth)

[Alison]

And Skelton's selection too Reg!! I think he must be Cheika's comfort blanket....

[Tazzmania]

Koroibete over Morahan sucks large dogs balls.

What a croc, obviously this was part of the deal to swing him across to Union. We have more than enough union players doing the hard yards that deserve to go before prima donna's. This guy was already talking about leaving because the Storm could not match the union offer, and seemed to Force's Cheika's hand by publically declaring him self a tourist ages ago.

Do we really need this kind of player!!!

[RugbyReg]

What a croc, obviously this was part of the deal to swing him across to Union. We have more than enough union players doing the hard yards that deserve to go before prima donna's. This guy was already talking about leaving because the Storm could not match the union offer, and seemed to Force's Cheika's hand by publically declaring him self a tourist ages ago.

Do we really need this kind of player!!!

Look I am normally what I would consider being a fairly sensible guy, and I've worked in pro-sports previously, and more often than not a lot of these conspiracy theories are way too unrealistic to be even considered accurate, but this stinks as a marketing selection to boost the profile of this Wallaby tour and drive media stories.

Terrible stuff.

[Kalahard]

No NRC bolters? Disappointing. I thought Ryan Louwrens' performance in the NRC Grand Final was pretty darn impressive. Same for Jake Gordon, Sam Figg, Izaih Perese, Irae Simone, Lukhan Tui.
Even though there are no NRC bolters picked, its still a very good sign for Aussie Rugby that we have such a conversation about NRC bolters being in the Squad.

[shasta]

I normally look at this stuff from a neutral perspective. I just like to see how the players handle the change - which ever code they are swapping. But this really sucks.

I would not blame the player. Like lots of Fijians, he made the change for extended family reasons. Unusually, he was honest enough to say the decision was down to money and made a little reluctantly.

Having said that - he is dy-no-mite. He'll provide some much needed gas out wide. But I doubt he can come within cooee of DHP or Mozza in the kicking dept.

[Kev]

Short-fuse-clown-features changes only a couple at a time, so any large scale of NRC bolters will come very slowly. He's looking at performances to keep his job, not developing younger, growing players.
There's loads he could take, but the fact that Phipps, Skelton, Kuridriani as well as Fardy that he'd lost faith in demonstrates the comfort zone he won't move far from.

Can't they smuggle a texting admin assistant onto the plane in a Wallaby tShirt or something ... ?

[The InnFORCEr]

I doubt he is doing this to keep his job, his job is secure, he will be at the helm until after RWC 19. This is obviously what he thinks is the best way to develop the talent, job security has sweet FA to do with it.

[sittingbison]

.... job security has sweet FA to do with it.

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story

[Sheikh]

If you want a bolter for the tour - Meakes! Has experience of NH rugby in November

[The InnFORCEr]

If you want a bolter for the tour - Meakes! Has experience of NH rugby in November

I think Chiek took him to camp when he arrived a few months ago just before the RC series.