Mal Meninga's startling admission about Kangaroos backlash ahead of Pacific Cup final

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga admits he was "blindsided" by the 30-0 defeat to New Zealand in last year's Pacific Cup final and the subsequent backlash that followed. Many were calling for Meninga's head after the disastrous result but the Kangaroos coach and his side have a shot at redemption on Sunday as they prepare to take on Tonga at Sydney's CommBank Stadium.

Meninga has consistently touched on that dark day in Australian rugby league 12 months ago, and used it as motivation for this year's campaign. The Kangaroos head into the Pacific Cup decider having beaten both Tonga and the Kiwis in reasonably comfortable victories but Meninga knows those results will count for nothing - and the pressure will be back on - if they don't win on Sunday afternoon.

Dylan Edwards, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Pat Carrigan, Harry Grant, Lindsay Collins, Reuben Cotter and skipper Isaah Yeo are the only seven survivors from the shock mauling by New Zealand in last year's final. Meninga was somewhat surprisingly handed a three-year contract extension in the aftermath of the loss, with the ARL Commission seeing the coach as integral to their hopes of World Cup glory in 2026.

Mal Meninga 'hurt' and 'blindsided' by defeat in 2023 final

Speaking to The Courier Mail ahead of Sunday's final, Meninga admits the thumping loss to the Kiwis "hurt" him immensely but helped motivate the Kangaroos coach to strive for new levels of excellence after critics questioned whether he was the right man for the job. “I was blindsided by it all, I must confess," Meninga told The Courier Mail.

“What it does... it makes you look a little bit deeper into the way you do things. You try to find reasons how you can be better, and that’s been my last 12 months, so it’s about how you can be better. That’s the attitude I’ve taken. I think we’re on the right path again. We’ll find out on Sunday.”

One major bonus for the largely new-look Kangaroos side is that there is little mental scarring from last year's defeat in the final. Meninga has looked to rookie halves pairing Tom Dearden and Mitchell Moses to run the show for his team and the pair have shown signs of a promising partnership brewing without completely clicking just yet. Panthers forward Lindsay Smith is also set to make his Test debut off the bench after replacing the injured Cameron Murray.

Meninga says he "can’t be happier" with his squad of players and has praised the team's chemistry, mindful that it has been a long and bruising year for the players. Things will ramp up a notch on Sunday afternoon though, with Meninga identifying the battle in the forward pack - an area where Tonga are traditionally strong - as one his side will have to overcome if they're to prevail in the final.

Tonga out to avenge opening defeat to Kangaroos in final

The Tongan pack will be led by captain and soon-to-be-Sharks superstar Addin Fonua-Blake, who's warned his men they'll need to find an extra gear if they hope to reverse the 18-0 defeat to Australia in the opening Test match of the series. "There's been a bit of chat during the week that we haven't won anything yet, this is the game that counts," Fonua-Blake said. "We've been chipping each other and letting everyone know that this is the main game this weekend."

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Tongan hard man Felise Kaufusi has likened his side's build up to the Pacific Cup decider to an NRL grand final, with the Kangaroos having the added advantage of a week's rest, following their second match against New Zealand. "This has a grand final week feel and I've been a part of finals campaigns and this is up there with that," Kaufusi said.

"The way our people have got around us and supported us we can definitely feel the love." Tonga's players will be watched by members of the country's royal family, with the showpiece set to kick off at 4:05pm (AEDT).

with AAP