One for the scrap book: The off-field games ensuring Kangaroos lead from front

Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga is using scrap booking and treasure hunts to encourage his props to lead from the front during Australia's World Cup campaign. 

Meninga has installed front-rowers Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Jake Trbojevic, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Lindsay Collins as the captains of four internal teams within the Australian squad.

Campbell-Gillard is captain of the Kakadus, Trbojevic leads the Daintrees, Fa'asuamaleaui is the Apostles skipper and Collins heads up the Kosciuskos.

The four teams, comprising of six players each, compete in games and activities at training and away from the practice field, including building a scrap book, taking unique polaroid photos and a treasure hunt.

The players even have specially designed t-shirts they must wear while competing in training games or other activities in Manchester.

“They love a competition and there is nothing better than an internal competition,” Meninga said.

“We play games and everything we do we do in teams. We have the t-shirts and the teams are named after Australia icons so it’s about competition but also about acknowledging where we come from in Australia.”

Players have been seen around Manchester with their polaroid cameras, but they are secretive about the photos they have taken due to the nature of the competition.

However, one theme is known to be “a day of firsts”, with players taking photos of their first training session, first meal and first red telephone box they saw on the team's day of arrival.

New Kangaroos captain James Tedesco took photos at the World Cup launch as he was the only Australian player in attendance and therefore the photos are unique to his team – the Daintree's.

A civic reception with Manchester City mayor Andy Burnham was another opportunity for players to take photos or collect items for their scrap books.  

“They get judged on little special efforts, they have scrap books and they take photos so it is a bit of internal way to have some fun, but at the same time there has always got to be a winner,” Meninga said.

“They gather into their groups and work out what to do. They might go on a little treasure hunt eventually. It is a long tour, so we have got to keep them occupied.”

Yet there is also a serious side to the fun, with Meninga using it to inspire leadership from his front-rowers – a position in which Australia’s depth has been eroded by the decisions of Junior Paulo and Josh Papalii to play for Samoa and the withdrawal of Payne Haas for family reasons.

“I have got all the big boppers, the front-rowers – big Tino, Lindsay Collins, Jake and Reg – as the captains,” Meninga said.

“We need them leading up front, we need them in big games and they are the corner stone of every success you have so they are leading the teams and taking on the role. It is good to see them in a leadership role within the team.”

Meninga confirmed that the players in the winning team at the end of the tournament would receive a prize, but he is not sure what that will be at this stage.

“We did it in 2016 when we came over and we were based at Liverpool for the final game at Anfield so we were lucky enough to get signed jerseys from the Liverpool team and the six players who won got signed Liverpool jerseys,” he said.

The teams are:

Apostles: Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (c), Nathan Cleary, Harry Grant, Valentine Holmes, Jeremiah Nanai, Jack Wighton.

Daintrees: Jake Trbojevic (c), Matt Burton, Pat Carrigan, Reuben Cotter, Cameron Munster, James Tedesco. 

Kakadus: Reagan Campbell-Gillard (c), Daly Cherry-Evans, Angus Crichton, Latrell Mitchell, Murray Taulagi, Isaah Yeo.

Kosciuskos: Lindsay Collins (c), Josh Addo-Carr, Campbell Graham, Ben Hunt, Liam Martin, Cameron Murray.