{"id":935001,"date":"2026-10-20T14:04:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T14:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/935001\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T14:04:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T14:04:14","slug":"nrl-2026-james-tedesco-one-of-several-huge-world-cup-ins-for-the-kangaroos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/935001\/","title":{"rendered":"NRL 2026: James Tedesco one of several huge World Cup ins for the Kangaroos"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clive Churchill Medal winner James Tedesco is one of several big inclusions for Australia\u2019s second match at the Rugby League World Cup, with coach Kevin Walters making mass changes for Sunday\u2019s showdown with Fiji.<\/p>\n

Fresh off a gripping 24-22 win over New Zealand in the tournament opener, Walters has brought in Tedesco, Lindsay Smith, Bradman Best, Sam Walker, Blayke Brailey and others into the starting side. <\/p>\n

The plan was always to rotate players in the pool stage, with Best, Walker, Brailey and David Fifita all set to play their first Test for the Kangaroos with the likes of Reece Walsh, Latrell Mitchell, Harry Grant, Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin to be rested.<\/p>\n

\u201cFiji have shown what they are capable of with a good performance in their opening game and we know they\u2019ll come out hard and fast on Sunday,\u201d Walters said, with Tedesco to captain the side. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re expecting another physical contest, and we\u2019ll be prepared to meet that challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re very keen to see what some of the new faces in the team can bring.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach of them has earned the opportunity to pull on the Kangaroos jersey and they have a chance to put their best foot forward for the remainder of the tournament with a strong performance on Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keano Kini will start at fullback for New Zealand with superstar Kalyn Ponga (broken arm) missing, while Dane Gagai, Moses Leota and Naufahu Whyte have all been rested for the match against the Cook Islands.<\/p>\n

Man mountain Xavier Willison starts on an edge, Erin Clark is at lock, while Tanner Stowers-Smith and Jacob Laban will make their debuts off the bench. <\/p>\n

Tonga has made a few changes for Friday\u2019s game against Lebanon with Tui Lolohea coming in for Latu Fainu at five-eighth, while Sione Katoa replaces Dallin Watene-Zelezniak on the wing.<\/p>\n

Salesi Foketi keeps his spot at dummy-half, with Stefano Utoikamanu promoted to the starting side in the front row. <\/p>\n

The Jillaroos have also made several changes for their game against England in Perth.<\/p>\n

Jess Sergis, Kezie Apps and Keeley Nizza are some of the players who have been rested, with Abbi Church set to play on the right wing which sees Julia Robinson shift to centre. <\/p>\n

Former sevens star Sariah Paki and Makenzie Weale are in line to make their Jillaroos debuts after they were named on the bench. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are really happy to give Makenzie and Sariah their opportunity to take to the field this week against England,\u201d Aussie coach Jess Skinner said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have been training well since coming into camp and have been key members of the squad, helping prepare the whole team for the challenges ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited to see the impact they\u2019ll bring off the bench, adding energy, physicality and momentum through our rotation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally published as \u2018Earned the opportunity\u2019: Kevin Walters makes mass changes for Australia\u2019s next World Cup game<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Clive Churchill Medal winner James Tedesco is one of several big inclusions for Australia\u2019s second match at the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":935002,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[380197,501741,496953,501739,395498,377450,457903,501734,501727,501730,121831,494178,501736,64,501723,27621,63,1700,6404,365857,501726,33869,20871,98710,494167,9810,311812,4424,401955,2572,1208,4550,3739,501744,39598,147808,8095,469766,386342,5094,4415,120943,306512,501725,3194,501743,147853,1082,386858,55319,44184,4434,28544,35547,501724,49794,501728,4572,761,762,45626,1736,43961,158,501740,501722,501733,7820,13391,4478,501742,457883,252422,85,48767,8825,501747,501745,28056,81994,425719,384381,401194,501721,377453,384944,382523,497005,11637,494219,380835,380148,501746,444303,380430,386391,175806,501719,381329,500731,388317,386778,394476,401971,315971,359749,498260,485451,501738,501735,501731,501737,392730,501729,501732,494180,380493,199184,18559,501720,9829,22333,21418],"class_list":["post-935001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-s-game","tag-s-next-world-cup-game","tag-s-next-world-cup-match","tag-s-second-match","tag-s-showdown","tag-a-chance","tag-a-few-changes","tag-a-good-performance","tag-a-gripping-24-22-win","tag-a-strong-performance","tag-abbi-church","tag-an-edge","tag-another-physical-contest","tag-au","tag-aussie-coach-jess-skinner","tag-aussies","tag-australia","tag-best","tag-blayke-brailey","tag-bradman-best","tag-brailey-and-david-fifita","tag-broken-arm","tag-camp","tag-centre","tag-clive-churchill-medal-winner-james-tedesco","tag-coach-kevin-walters","tag-dallin-watene-zelezniak","tag-dane-gagai","tag-dummy-half","tag-energy","tag-england","tag-erin-clark","tag-fiji","tag-former-sevens-star-sariah-paki-and-makenzie-weale","tag-friday","tag-fullback","tag-harry-grant","tag-his-spot","tag-his-word","tag-isaah-yeo","tag-james-tedesco","tag-julia-robinson","tag-keano-kini","tag-keeley-nizza","tag-kevin-walters","tag-key-members","tag-kezie-apps","tag-latrell-mitchell","tag-latu-fainu","tag-lebanon","tag-liam-martin","tag-lindsay-smith","tag-line","tag-lock","tag-makenzie-and-sariah","tag-mass-changes","tag-mass-world-cup-changes","tag-moses-leota","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-naufahu-whyte","tag-new-zealand","tag-newswire-sport","tag-nrl","tag-our-rotation","tag-perth-jess-sergis","tag-physicality-and-momentum","tag-players","tag-reece-walsh","tag-sam-walker","tag-several-big-inclusions","tag-several-changes","tag-sione-katoa","tag-sports","tag-stefano-utoikamanu","tag-sunday","tag-superstar-kalyn-ponga","tag-tanner-stowers-smith-and-jacob-laban","tag-team-lists","tag-tedesco","tag-that-challenge","tag-the-bench","tag-the-challenges","tag-the-cook-islands-man-mountain-xavier-willison","tag-the-field","tag-the-front-row","tag-the-impact","tag-the-jillaroos","tag-the-kangaroos","tag-the-kangaroos-jersey","tag-the-likes","tag-the-match","tag-the-new-faces","tag-the-only-team","tag-the-opportunity","tag-the-plan","tag-the-players","tag-the-pool-stage","tag-the-remainder","tag-the-right-wing","tag-the-rugby-league-world-cup","tag-the-side","tag-the-squad","tag-the-starting-side","tag-the-team","tag-the-tournament","tag-the-tournament-opener","tag-the-whole-team","tag-the-wing-salesi-foketi","tag-their-best-foot","tag-their-debuts","tag-their-first-test","tag-their-game","tag-their-jillaroos-debuts","tag-their-opening-game","tag-their-opportunity","tag-their-stars","tag-this-week","tag-tonga","tag-tui-lolohea","tag-walker","tag-walters","tag-world-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/935001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=935001"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/935001\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/935002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=935001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=935001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=935001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}