Australia have named an extended squad for this year’s Pacific Championship, with Eels star Mitchell Moses in line to make his Test debut despite sitting out the back half of the 2024 season through injury.

This masthead spoke to almost every club to ascertain which players had been included in the Kangaroos squad for this year’s end of season Test series against New Zealand and Tonga.

Potential debutants include Moses, Zac Lomax, Connor Watson, Reece Robson, Tom Dearden and Mitch Barnett.

Canterbury’s Jacob Kiraz was also initially rewarded with a maiden call-up into coach Mal Meninga’s preliminary squad, but he has since been scratched due to injury. The Bulldogs flyer battled through a shoulder injury late in the club’s finals charge, but a back issue is believed to have also played a part in his withdrawal from the Australian squad.

Moses has also been given the nod after suffering a season-ending ruptured biceps as he guided NSW to an Origin series win in July. His recovery puts him in line for the Australian No.7 jersey given Panthers star Nathan Cleary is expected to undergo shoulder surgery when his club campaign ends.

Kalyn Ponga was originally included in the Kangaroos preliminary squad, which will be reduced to 22 players after the grand final, but has since ruled himself out of contention in order to focus on the Knights

Injury dramas for Sharks with Ramien set to be ruled out, Iro in doubt

The Cronulla Sharks are on the verge of being dealt a monumental blow ahead of their preliminary final showdown against Penrith with Jesse Ramien in major doubt to play and his centre partner Kayal Iro facing a race against the clock to overcome a biceps strain.

The Cronulla Sharks have withdrawn both Daniel Atkinson and Mawene Hiroti from feeder club Newtown Jets’ grand final preparations to provide cover for the injured pair.

Ramien is all but expected to be ruled out of the clash and be replaced by Sifa Talakai at right centre. Hiroti is on standby for Iro, who picked up a biceps injury in last week’s win over the North Queensland Cowboys.

Atkinson will also be unavailable for Newtown’s grand final clash against the North Sydney Bears at CommBank Stadium on Sunday. He is expected to be on the bench for Cronulla.

Ramien missed the first week of the finals series to recover from a syndesmosis injury that saw him unable to finish last week’s clash against the Cowboys upon his return.

NRL hits Addo-Carr with $12,000 fine, four-game ban over drugs drama

Josh Addo-Carr is facing a four-game ban and a $12,000 fine over his positive result to cocaine at a roadside police drugs test earlier this month.

The NRL has issued Addo-Carr a breach notice over the incident, the details of which are withheld from the public until the matter is finalised. However, sources speaking on the condition of anonymity because the player hasn’t had a chance to respond to the breach, provided this masthead with the details of the proposed sanction, which will have a further sting in the tail.

On top of the $12,000 penalty, the NRL proposes to fine the premiership-winning winger a further $3000 for his role in a brawl at Koori Knockout last off-season. That fine was initially suspended, but the latest incident means Addo-Carr is facing a total of $15,000 in penalties.

The NRL will take into account the fact that Addo-Carr stood himself down from Canterbury’s finals loss to Manly, meaning he will only need to serve a further three games.

“Addo-Carr was issued with a Penalty Notice by NSW Police earlier this month for the offence of ‘Presence of prescribed illicit drug in person’s oral fluid, blood or urine’ while driving a motor vehicle,” the NRL said in a statement.

“The Breach Notice alleges that Addo-Carr has engaged in conduct which is against the law and has brought the game and his Club into disrepute. Addo-Carr has 5 business days to respond to the Breach Notice.”

Addo-Carr accepted a $682 fine and a three-month suspension from driving following the incident that has left a cloud over his future at Canterbury. He said he accepted the police infringement notice to spare his club and family adverse publicity, a move that effectively ends the matter from a policing or court perspective

During a 90-minute grilling from the NRL’s integrity unit last Thursday, Addo-Carr maintained he didn’t knowingly take any illicit drugs.

Canterbury general manager Phil Gould said last week that Addo-Carr’s version of events held “too many contradictions”, but would wait for the NRL to conclude its process before deciding next steps.

“At the end of the day what we have is a positive drug test, that there were drugs in his system last Friday night,” Gould said on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast.

“I believe he’s still protesting his innocence in that. But at [some stage] he’s going to have to explain to himself and explain to people that matter exactly how that’s happened and why it’s happened.”

‘It’s Nate’s jersey’: But Cherry-Evans ready if Roos need him

Daly Cherry-Evans has conceded Nathan Cleary will be the Kangaroos’ No. 7, but he will welcome the chance to represent his country if coach Mal Meninga needs him.

An extended Australian squad for the Pacific Championships is being finalised with uncertainty surrounding Cleary and whether he will require shoulder surgery in the off-season.

Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses is expected to feature, as will North Queensland’s Tom Dearden and Canterbury’s Matt Burton. But Cherry-Evans, the incumbent halfback, risks being frozen out altogether if Cleary is available.

The Manly skipper would love another shot against an injury-hit New Zealand and Tonga, but said he had made peace with falling behind Cleary in the pecking order.

Cherry-Evans added he would need to make a call on his representative future if he wanted to prolong his club career beyond 2025.

“If Nate is healthy, Nate plays,” Cherry-Evans said. “It’s Nate’s jersey, Nate is the No. 7 when healthy. But there sounds like a bit of uncertainty there [with his injury] and that’s why I’m going to keep the door open.

“I didn’t think I was playing for Australia last year until grand final night when he [Cleary] got injured.

“I’m getting closer to retiring from rep footy, no doubt about it. There will be that thing for me to continue in the NRL, at some stage I might have to sacrifice rep footy, I definitely understand that, but I don’t think it’s right now, not.”

Mystery surrounds the availability of Cameron Munster with Melbourne expecting him to undergo double hip surgery in the off-season.

Meninga has placed a lot of value in Origin representation, which has Connor Watson putting pressure on Ben Hunt to be Harry Grant’s understudy.

A Test debut would cap an excellent year for Watson, who returned from a serious knee injury in 2023 and started this campaign in the NSW Cup.

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Watson is not the only Rooster pressing for a surprise international debut with journeyman clubmate Zach Dockar-Clay, who has played just 20 NRL matches, looming as a left-field choice for New Zealand coach Stacey Jones.

Halves Dylan Brown and Kieran Foran won’t play for the Kiwis due to injuries, leaving Jones trying to tempt Shaun Johnson out of his short-lived retirement and Newcastle’s Phoenix Crossland and Dockar-Clay as No.9 options.

Dockar-Clay, 29, was 18th man for the Roosters in their semi-final triumph over the Sea Eagles on Saturday night and has chalked up six games for the tricolours this year. He only made his NRL debut for the Bulldogs in 2022.

Meanwhile, Manly’s Lehi Hopoate could be the latest from his illustrious family to represent Tonga, with the Pacific nation set to include the teenage star in their squad for the Pacific Championships.

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