Mal Meninga warns rivals Australia will improve after ‘bit clunky’ win over Fiji

The reigning World Cup champions opened their campaign with a 42-8 win at Headingley.

Australian head coach Mal Meninga saw his side begin their title defence with a win (Richard Sellers/PA) (PA Wire)

Mal Meninga admitted Australia’s opening Rugby League World Cup win over Fiji was “a bit clunky” but sent an ominous warning to the Kangaroos’ Group B rivals after their 42-8 victory at Headingley.

Meninga’s side, featuring seven debutants, recovered from the shock of conceding a fourth-minute try to run in seven of their own in their first international outing since 2019.

And having eventually brushed aside the three-time semi-finalists, Meninga indicated that his big guns – including four players who featured in this month’s NRL Grand Final and were given extra time to recover – will return for next week’s clash with Scotland.

“It was a bit clunky with the footy but I was really happy with the defence and this means our attitude is good,” said Meninga.

“All the things we talked about ran deep and the effort levels were excellent. I think we could get a bit better with the football, but with seven debutants and a lot of people who haven’t played together before, we can get better there definitely.”

Meninga confirmed that Penrith’s Nathan Cleary, Liam Martin and Isaah Yeo, and Parramatta’s Reagan Campbell-Gillard are all in line to return against Scotland next weekend.

It was a bit clunky with the footy but I was really happy with the defence and this means our attitude is good.

Australia coach Mal Meninga

“The guys who didn’t play tonight will be playing next week, definitely,” he added. “I’m not sure where, but we will pick a team with those guys in it.”

Meninga also gave grudging respect to England’s earlier thrashing of Samoa, admitting the World Cup hosts did “pretty well” against under-par opponents.

Fiji assistant coach Wise Kativerata rued some simple mistakes but said his side’s performance also gave plenty of cause for optimism ahead of their second Group B fixture against Italy next week.

The underdogs continued to press after Semi Valemei’s stunning opener and came close to regaining the lead before a lapse in concentration sent Josh Addo-Carr the length of the field to extend the Kangaroos’ advantage.

Kativerata said: “We started really well, we just gave away too much possession and you can’t afford to drop simple mistakes against a team like this.

“We need to work on keeping it simple, and work on the basic stuff. After seeing how the boys played tonight, we’ve got a really good chance. We’ve got a lot to work on and there is a lot of confidence leading into next week.”