Gold Coast Titans young guns Jai Arrow and AJ Brimson have been named by Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga as part of an exciting Australian team for the inaugural World Cup Nines in Sydney.
Some of the NRL’s hottest young stars have been given their first taste of representative football with selection in the Australian Nines squad, with Arrow and Brimson joining the likes of Melbourne’s Ryan Papenhuyzen and Josh Addo-Carr, Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt and Newcastle sensation Kalyn Ponga making their first appearances in the green and gold.
The selection of Arrow and Brimson is a fair reward for both players, who performed consistently despite having their seasons interrupted by injury in what was a very tough year for the Gold Coast.
Meninga, the Titans Head of Performance and Culture, also announced that he has agreed to stay on as Australian coach until the end of 2021 – meaning that the game’s 13th Immortal will remain at the helm of the Kangaroos for the next World Cup.
Meninga named a new-look Kangaroos team for the upcoming Tests against New Zealand and Tonga, with Roosters premiership captain Boyd Cordner to skipper an Australian team littered with players from the NRL grand final.
AUSTRALIAN NINES SQUAD: Josh Addo-Carr, Jai Arrow, AJ Brimson, Nathan Brown, Kyle Feldt, Tyson Frizell, Reuben Garrick, Wade Graham, Clint Gutherson, Ben Hunt, Mitchell Moses, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Kalyn Ponga, Curtis Scott, Cody Walker.
KANGAROOS TEST SQUAD: Josh Addo-Carr, Daly Cherry-Evans, Damien Cook, Boyd Cordner (c), Nick Cotric, Tyson Frizell, Wade Graham, Payne Haas, Ben Hunt, Luke Keary, David Klemmer, Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Munster, Cameron Murray, Josh Papalii, James Tedesco, Jake Trbojevic, Paul Vaughan, Jack Wighton.
