Cameron Murray wins big award from Kangaroos disaster

Cameron Murray, a lock forward for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, won the Harry Sunderland Medal, which is given to the Kangaroos’ outstanding player of the most recent tri-series against Samoa and New Zealand.

Australia only participated in three Test matches in 2023, but they finished the year bitterly, losing to the Kiwis in the Pacific Cup final in Hamilton by a score of thirty points to zero.

In spite of the catastrophe, the Kangaroos defeated Samoa in Townsville and New Zealand in Melbourne, winning both of their round-robin matches in the tri-series.

All 21 members of the team played in the victories, but Murray stood out in particular because he equaled Ron Coote’s record for the most consecutive Tests in which a forward scores a try by scoring a try in both of the Tests.

The Kiwis will now try to gather momentum in the upcoming years before the 2026 World Cup, which will take place at a location in the Southern Hemisphere that has not yet been decided. This loss marked the largest for an Australian national team.

While, at least initially, it’s doubtful that would involve a new coach, Australia has plenty of introspection to do before the national team enters a time of transition. All indications point to Mal Meninga being kept for at least another year.

With a World Cup in 2026, a tour of England in 2025, and another tri-series at the end of 2024, the Kangaroos will need to make swift choices in the following two to three years.

Murray is a strong contender to lead the Kangaroos in the future, as James Tedesco is likely to have played his final Test match during the 2023 series.