Rugby league great Matthew Johns has accused the Kangaroos of tampering with history by devising their own system for numbering jerseys at the Rugby World Cup.
As first revealed by the Sydney Morning Herald, the Kangaroos will not don the traditional 1-17 jerseys based on their position at this year’s Rugby World Cup in England.
Instead, the Australian footballers will wear numbers based on when they made their international debut — the only exception being captain James Tedesco who will wear the No. 1 jersey.
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Sea Eagles halfback Daly Cherry-Evans, who made his Australian debut in 2011, will don the No. 2 jersey, while Ben Hunt will wear the No. 3.
Uncapped players in the Kangaroos squad were allocated the remaining numbers in alphabetical order — Penrith halfback will wear No. 14, while Panthers teammate Isaah Yeo will don No. 24.
“I actually don’t mind the idea, the cup organisers put it in place this year, it mirrors what happens in the Super League where players get that permanent number for the year,” rugby league reporter Christian Nicolussi told SEN 1170 Afternoons earlier this week.
“The players were having a bit of a joke about it. Daly Cherry-Evans, I don’t think he’s ever worn the number two in his life.
“It’s the way it has to roll, I know some other nations will opt for the 1-17 option, they were going to take a stab at what their likely line-up will be, but (that’s) the way the Australians have done it and I don’t mind it.
“I know it’s going to look a bit weird; I can only think it’s going to be a commentators nightmare trying to call players out of position, but that’s the way it’s going to work.”
The new jersey system, invented by Kangaroos assistant coach Michael Hagan, inevitably ruffled some feathers in the rugby league community — and now Johns has given his two cents worth.
“I cannot believe it, each game you should earn your jersey one through 17, the couple of sixes (test jerseys) I got, they’re the special ones because they’re the ones you earned,” he told SEN 1170 The Run Home.
“During the game, I think looking at Latrell (Mitchell) in the number eight jersey, for the organisers I think they’ve got it wrong, and Australia I think we’ve got it wrong, I honestly hate it.
“The traditional jerseys and numbers are part of the history of the sport, and you shouldn’t tamper with it.
“For the people who are the casual observer … you be saying sorry who is what, particularly these days with players who wonder in the field, you have forwards who play a bit, they’ll (casual fans) be just saying who are these guys, it doesn’t make sense to me at all.”
Australia gets its Rugby League World Cup campaign underway at KCOM Stadium on Sunday, October 16, facing Fiji at 5.30am AEDT.
Kangaroos squad numbers
1. James Tedesco
2. Daly Cherry-Evans
3. Ben Hunt
4. Valentine Holmes
5. Jake Trbojevic
6. Reagan Campbell-Gillard
7. Cameron Munster
8. Latrell Mitchell
9. Josh Addo-Carr
10. Jack Wighton
11. Cameron Murray
12. Matt Burton
13. Pat Carrigan
14. Nathan Cleary
15. Lindsay Collins
16. Reuben Cotter
17. Angus Crichton
18. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui
19. Campbell Graham
20. Harry Grant
21. Liam Martin
22. Jeremiah Nanai
23. Murray Taulagi
24. Isaah Yeo
