Kangaroos star Josh Addo-Carr has revealed his record-setting World Cup campaign was fuelled by a determination to repay Mal Meninga’s faith.
Addo-Carr was controversially axed from the New South Wales side this year but the Bulldogs winger then worked his “backside off” to make the Australian squad.
Meninga picked him and the ‘Foxx’ showed exactly why, dominating the tournament to equal Val Holmes’ record of 12 tries at a World Cup.
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Addo-Carr had the opportunity to go for the outright record in the final by throwing a dummy to James Tedesco, but he instead took the selfless option and put his captain over as Australia beat Samoa 30-10.
The NRL’s fastest player was named in the team of the tournament but following the final admitted it had been a turbulent year.
“It’s definitely been an up and down year for myself personally but I don’t regret anything, everything happens for a reason,” Addo-Carr said.
“For Mal to give me the opportunity to be a part of this team… I’m so blessed for him to have trust in me to do a job for our country.
“I definitely worked my backside off this year to try and make this team but I needed a bit of help with the coaching staff trusting that I could do a job.
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“My goal was always to try and make this team, I probably thought it would be a bit harder to make the team for not playing Origin but I knuckled down in club land and did the very best I could for the Bulldogs.
“I learnt a lot this year and wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Addo-Carr compared Meninga’s man management skills to legendary coach Craig Bellamy, who the winger played five seasons for at the Storm.
“He’s definitely up there as one of the best. I sit him next to Craig Bellamy just the way he talks and the way he handles things within the team,” Addo-Carr said.
“He’s just a wonderful person.”
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Addo-Carr, 27, has won premierships with Melbourne and State of Origin series for the Blues, and was asked where winning the World Cup ranked in his decorated career.
“It’s up there. I’ve achieved a lot of things in this game, I’ve been blessed with being a part of some great teams in the past but this is definitely up there,” he said.
“In 50 years time I’ll be able to speak about this moment to my grandkids.
“Who knows, I might not make the next World Cup team. I just want to enjoy every moment of it because these moments don’t come around too much.”
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