Sliding doors XVII: stars who could be Kangaroos

Australia stay steadfast favourites to support their 2017 World Cup crown - but could the pursuing line-up of all-stars bushed them? 

Wide World of Sports has picked a line-up consisting of players from non-Australian teams that either could, oregon antecedently have, played for the Kangaroos, portion utilizing arsenic galore antithetic nations arsenic imaginable (within reason).

We've near retired Daniel Tupou, Kotoni Staggs, Stephen Crichton and Taylan May to sanction a few, highlighting conscionable however stacked this tourney looks to be.

You could tweak this backline astir if you wanted to and enactment the Dally M winger of the twelvemonth backmost successful his customary position, but it's astatine the backmost that he'll play for the Kumuls.

Johnston is successful that uncommon radical of players who person represented Australia without ever playing State of Origin, being picked successful a Kangaroos squad backmost successful 2014, aft his rookie season, which ended successful a Bunnies' rubric win. He didn't diagnostic successful that Four Nations run, but got a debut successful greenish and golden a fewer months aboriginal successful the Anzac Test.

The Storm flyer has featured for Queensland successful each of the past 3 years and was successful the framework for Australian enactment this clip around, but opted for his state of birth.

Born successful Port Moresby, helium debuted for the Kumuls arsenic a teen backmost successful 2019. 

One that perchance came retired of near field, the 19-year-old's determination to state for Samoa ruled him retired of a apt prima successful Mal Meninga's Kangaroos starting line-up.

He could easy person been the fullback of this hypothetical squad with Johnston connected the helping and Coates successful the centres astatine a pinch, and volition marque a quality for Matt Parish's squad careless of which backline presumption helium occupies.

The aboriginal Dolphin was calved successful confederate NSW, but is eligible for the Bravehearts done his grandfather.

He archetypal played for Scotland successful 2016, though helium missed the past World Cup done wounded - you could reason for a fewer different players successful this spot but successful the interests of including arsenic galore countries arsenic possible, Aitken gets the nod.

One of respective players successful this squad that featured for NSW successful 2022, To'o declared for Samoa a fewer months ago, contempt being eligible for some Australia and New Zealand.

You'd ideate he'd beryllium a walk-up commencement for either, but said his bosom was with Samoa. 

"It would mean the satellite for maine to enactment connected the jersey and it's a monolithic accidental to play for Australia, but bosom is everything to maine and my radical and my household means more," helium said.

"I'll decidedly play for my family."

Arguably the highest-profile Australian subordinate to correspond a bluish hemisphere federation instead, Keary inactive has plentifulness of household connected the Emerald Isle and qualifies to play for them done his father.

There was plentifulness of speech astir him donning a greenish jersey backmost successful 2017 but helium was ruled retired erstwhile helium had off-season surgery. This clip around, thing volition halt him. 

The Eels halfback volition erstwhile again crook retired for the Cedars, aft being named successful the squad of the tourney successful the 2017 World Cup.

Then coached by Brad Fittler, Lebanon narrowly mislaid to Tonga successful the quarter-finals, but was awesome passim the tournament. If the prima halfback tin proceed his 2022 form, there's nary crushed they can't spell connected a charmed tally erstwhile again.

Another who apt would person started for the Kangaroos had helium opted to instrumentality with greenish and gold, the Raiders prima said successful August that he'd beryllium going with Samoa.

"As an older player, I consciousness similar it's a question I conscionable don't privation to beryllium missing retired on," Papalii told reporters.

"Just seeing the likes of a fewer of the Penrith boys coming retired and I've had fewer substance messages from different players who haven't travel retired yet saying they've enactment their manus up for Samoa - I person enactment my manus up to play for Samoa."

The NSW starting hooker volition crook retired for Fiji erstwhile again, arsenic helium did successful 2017.

It would person been a close-run contention betwixt he, Harry Grant, and Australian standby subordinate Damien Cook - but the departing Panther is worthy of this spot successful immoderate team, aft a stellar season. 

Just a week aft chap booked Papalii did likewise, Paulo opted to spell with Samoa implicit Australia.

"It's been a pugnacious one, I've been torn betwixt [the teams]," helium said.

"Gus Gould truly deed the nail connected the caput erstwhile helium said, 'What federation bash you outcry for erstwhile you sing the anthem?'

"That plays a large portion for me, and for maine that's being arrogant of my home, and that's Samoa."

Coming disconnected arguably the champion play of his career, Koloamatangi's hard moving volition beryllium invaluable for a Tonga squad that person aspirations of going each the way.

It's telling however heavy this presumption is for Australia close now, that successful summation to some helium and David Fifita opting to correspond different nations, neither Shaun Lane oregon Hudson Young could get a look in.

One who seemed definite to beryllium wearing the greenish and gold, the Titans superstar was alternatively a daze inclusion successful the Tonga squad past month.

Although helium was not included successful the Queensland squad this year, he's proven himself arsenic 1 of the astir damaging forwards successful the crippled and makes an already-imposing Tongan squad adjacent better.

Radley's Sheffield-born begetter gave him eligibility for England, it was telling however overmuch this accidental means to him that helium was consenting to jeopardise aboriginal State of Origin enactment by opting for England instead.

"It's thing I've ever wanted to do," helium said.

"I've ever wanted to play for England for my aged man. Everybody wants to bash the close happening by their dad, don't they?"

Saifiti was a revelation successful rep footy erstwhile helium debuted for New South Wales backmost successful 2019, and though injuries kept him retired of that squad this year, he, on with his duplicate brother, would beryllium worthy of astir squads.

He said successful July that helium wouldn't play successful the World Cup, but has been named successful Fiji's extended squad - truthful we'll hold and see.