Join now and get your first month for just $1<\/a>.<\/p>\nNaufahu Whyte and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui will lock horns again at the World Cup. Picture: Scott Gardiner\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
But Australia also has quality in the pack with Keaon Koloamatangi, David Fifita and Patrick Carrigan just some of the big bodies who will partner Fa\u2019asuamaleaui in the forwards. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey probably are the world\u2019s best pack at the moment with Naufahu Whyte and a lot of those boys that are playing good football,\u201d the Titans skipper told the NewsWire ahead of Thursday\u2019s World Cup opener. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut I think a lot of people forget about the forward pack that we have too. <\/p>\n
\u201cIsaah Yeo, Cam Murray, Patrick Carrigan \u2013 we have a very good forward pack. So I definitely take it personally like any other game, if not more wearing this Aussie jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n
The rise of Pacific nations like Tonga and Samoa has coincided with star forwards like Jason Taumalolo, Payne Haas and Addin Fonua-Blake switching their international allegiances over the years.<\/p>\n
But it hasn\u2019t stopped the Kiwis from assembling an Avengers style pack including Whyte, Fisher-Harris and Clark who were all named in the Dally M Team of the Year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still pinch myself being in the room with them, just being in forwards meetings together in a circle and looking around,\u201d Whyte said. <\/p>\n
Twal proud to be back in World Cup! | 02:44<\/p>\n
\u201cI have full confidence and belief that this forward pack can dominate any forward pack in this game. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe just have to go out there and do what we\u2019ve been doing this whole year individually, and then bring it together as a pack. I would love to see who goes toe-to-toe with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just the established big men who will terrorise the opposition at the World Cup, with guys like Jacob Laban, Tanner Stowers-Smith and the imposing Xavier Willison ready to rip in if they get their chance.<\/p>\n
Clark will be the link man between the halves and the forwards and has already been working on his combination with Whyte. <\/p>\n
\u201cErin is my roomie now, so I know me and him have a great connection, and we\u2019ll definitely be looking to use that in our games,\u201d the Roosters prop said. <\/p>\n
\u201cEven the young ones coming up have been running amok at their own clubs, and for us to all be in one room together rubbing shoulders, it\u2019s a crazy experience and a special occasion. It\u2019s rare to get these top players all in one room together.\u201d<\/p>\n
AMONE\u2019S SHOT AT NRL REDEMPTION<\/p>\n
Former St George Illawarra Dragons playmaker prodigy Junior Amone will get a golden opportunity at the World Cup to press his case for an NRL recall.<\/p>\n
Having not played top-flight football since 2023, Tonga coach Kristian Woolf named Amone in the nation\u2019s 23-man squad.<\/p>\n
He will now look to get his career back on track after an off-field incident led to his deregistration by the NRL.<\/p>\n
Once seen as the Dragons\u2019 future No. 6, Amone has been given the green light to return to the field.<\/p>\n
And teammate Addin Fonua-Blake believes the playmaker can return to the NRL sooner than many expected.<\/p>\n
It comes as foxsports.com.au understands that at least two clubs showed they were interested in recruiting his services earlier in the year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way he was playing before the incident happened, he had a lot of promise,\u201d the Tongan captain told foxsports.com.au. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat has put a little dent in the road, but if he\u2019s able to get out there and get back to playing footy the way he was playing before it all happened, definitely (he will be back in the NRL).\u201d<\/p>\n
NRL 2023 RD24 South Sydney Rabbitohs v St. George Illawarra Dragons – Talatau Amone NRL PHOTOSSource: The Daily Telegraph<\/p>\n
For now, Amone will contend with youngster Latu Fainu and veteran Tuimoala Lolohea to accompany Dolphins standout Isaiya Katoa in the halves for Tonga.<\/p>\n
Once on a reported deal worth $500,000 a season, he returned to reserve-grade earlier this year, where he represented the Wynnum-Manly Seagulls in QLD Cup.<\/p>\n
In his seven appearances, the 24-year-old scored three tries and provided a mammoth 12 try assists and 14 line-break assists.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m stoked for Junior. He had that little snip-up, but he didn\u2019t let it get the best of him,\u201d Fonua-Blake added.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe kept his head down and he\u2019s been working really hard in the background and he\u2019s reaping the rewards.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe went to QLD Cup and he had like 15 or 16 try assists in seven games and scored a handful himself. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been rewarded with a second chance here in the team and he\u2019s going to be pushing to play.<\/p>\n
\u201cIsaiya\u2019s got the number seven, but if he can train well and show Woolfie that he\u2019s ready, then I don\u2019t see why he won\u2019t get the six.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ethan Lee Chalk<\/p>\n
Jillaroos enter new era without Ali | 00:53<\/p>\n
STORM STAR RESPONDS TO MUNSTER RUMOURS<\/p>\n
Jahrome Hughes won\u2019t make any public pitches to Storm teammate Cameron Munster to convince him to stay at the club, with the star halves likely to come up against each other on Thursday in the World Cup opener in Sydney.<\/p>\n
Munster is off contract at the end of 2027 and is set to hit the open market on November 1 whee he\u2019ll find out what his value is.<\/p>\n
The veteran five-eighth could still end up staying in Melbourne, but he\u2019s got a few big weeks before any of that, with Australia and New Zealand to clash in a blockbuster bout at Allianz Stadium.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always weird going up against Mun,\u201d Hughes said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t played against each other too many times, only probably when we played against Australia in the last couple of years. It\u2019s always good to go up against him, though. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe train against each other a lot, and you want to test yourself against the best, and he\u2019s definitely one of the best. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t need to pitch anything to him. He already knows what he means to me and what he means to our club, so I\u2019ll leave that on a personal note, not in the media.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Daily Telegraph Thursday 8 October 2026 Rugby World Cup Australian Rugby League team player Cameron Munster. Picture Thomas LissonSource: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
Hughes is thrilled to be back in the Kiwis jersey for the first time since 2023 when New Zealand destroyed the Kangaroos 30-0.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s dealt with ongoing hamstring issues this season that have restricted the former Dally M Medal winner to just 18 appearances for his club. But he says he\u2019s fully fit and is looking forward to representing his country once more.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is really special,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI dreamt of putting these colours on since I was a young kid. I think I\u2019ve had a couple of years away from it, and it just makes you realise you can\u2019t take this jersey for granted. <\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time from now on I\u2019m lucky enough to put it on, I\u2019ll be really cherishing it, so it\u2019s good to be back. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s always a bit of fear about missing these camps, especially with a few niggles that I did have this year. <\/p>\n
\u201cI picked up a little one in our last game of the season, which was only a little one. We were in a stage where we couldn\u2019t make finals, and it was probably just a smarter thing to come off, so it wasn\u2019t too bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
YORK, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 13: Jahrome Hughes during the New Zealand Kiwis Media Session ahead of the Rugby League World Cup 2021 on October 13, 2022 in York, England. (Photo by Nathan Stirk\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
The Kiwis haven\u2019t won the World Cup since 2008, with the pain of their semi-final loss to Australia four years ago still driving the team.<\/p>\n
Hughes scored the first try in that game but couldn\u2019t come up with the winner as the Kangaroos held on to win by two points. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s more not thinking about it as a bad thing, it\u2019s more fuelling that fire and making sure that doesn\u2019t happen again,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to us in that last World Cup, I feel like it\u2019s worked for me already just with preparation and just my mindset going into this tournament.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cherish every time I get to put this jersey on, but just being in camp with the boys, it\u2019s always a good couple of weeks. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe last couple of years have been tough with different injuries and not being able to play, and just missing out on the camps, enjoying each other\u2019s company, and playing some good footy. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m one of the older guys now, but I felt like a little kid coming back into camp and seeing everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 Martin Gabor (NCA NewsWire)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you watched The Last Dance on Netflix then you\u2019ll know that NBA legend Michael Jordan famously took…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":630462,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,43,213,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-630461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-sports","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=630461"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630461\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/630462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=630461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=630461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=630461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1791989773_398_poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n