Seven players from the grand final winning Melbourne Storm have been selected for the Kangaroos. Australia is favoured to win the 15th Rugby League World Cup, which will kick off later this month.

Laura Frendon reports.

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Melbourne dominated the NRL season, now the new premiers have stormed Kangaroo selection.

Mal Meninga, Kangaroos Coach: “I think deservedly so, the most consistent team and players all year.”

Melbourne greats Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, and Billy Slater will be playing together for the last time, after their premiership win over the North Queensland Cowboys.

Team-mate Cameron Munster will be joining them as one of six rookies named in this year’s squad, along with Dane Gagai, and Felise Kaufusi.

The team will be heading to Fiji next week, and will play warm-up matches against the Pacific Islanders as well as Papua New Guinea.

Mal Meninga, Kangaroos Coach: “It’s a great concept to play against two other teams for 40 minutes each. They still get 80 minutes of football.”

Appropriately, Melbourne will host the opening match of this year’s World Cup with the Kangaroos taking on England.

Mal Meninga, Kangaroos Coach: “Should be a good great game and a game that we need to win.”

There’ll also be games in Sydney and Canberra.

Laura Frendon, QUT News.