Mal Meninga has dropped his Kangaroos squad for the Four Nations, which obviously packs plenty of talent but also has an intriguing aspect with a few younger lads named. Meninga is on an interesting little journey with this Kangaroos team as he's been tasked with rejuvinating the national program after a few years which saw the Kiwis overtake the Aussies and perhaps a fair share of these selections have been based around countering a powerful Kiwis side.

There's many notable omissions, as you'd expect with an Australian rugby league side. No Paul Gallen, Corey Parker or Andrew Fifita ensures that there are many talking points, however what I found interesting here is that Gallen and Parker probably weren't selected because they don't fit the system and that Fifta definitely has what the Kangaroos need. Gallen and Parker are grizzly veterans who are near the end or in Parker's case, at the end of their careers and aren't overly explosive in their work. Fifita however is athletic and skillful which would have given the Kangaroos a funky edge, yet we must also respect Meninga's reasoning and desire to ensure that the Kangaroos jersey is a prized possession for people worthy of it, not just based on their rugby league talents.

Aaron Woods, Matt Scott, David Klemmer and Shannon Boyd are the big boppers selected with Boyd likely to struggle for game time. That's also evident in the selections of Tyson Frizell and Josh Papalii as they have both played through the middle in Origin footy but are also fantastic out on the edges, so their versatility will give Meninga options/cover on the bench. Sam Thaiday and Matt Gillett will likely start on the edges in a full-strength side, with Boyd Cordner offering depth.

Trent Merrin wasn't good enough to be selected in Laurie Daley's New South Wales side this year, well apparently. Merrin was a beast for Penrith all season at lock and is definitely worthy of selection in this Kangaroos squad, he's a contender to start at lock as well and his footwork around the ruck area will be crucial for the Aussies.

My Kangaroos starting forward pack, with three bench spots would be...

Merrin, Thaiday, Gillett, Woods, Smith, Scott | Papalii, Klemmer, Cordner.

Jake Friend will struggle to get on the bench for Australia as he'll need to wait for an opportunity against weaker opposition in the Four Nations when Cameron Smith is rested. Smith is joined by Jonathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis and Darius Boyd as certain starter, Josh Dugan, Michael Morgan and Blake Ferguson are now Kangaroos regulars while the selections of Matt Moylan, Josh Mansour, Justin O'Neill, James Maloney and Valentine Holmes give the Kangaroos and exciting edge.

Despite his hot-form in steering the Sharks to a Premiership, Maloney will struggle to kick Cronk and Thurston out of the halves and will need to wait for a chance. O'Neill is sitting behind Inglis and Dugan at centre, while Moylan is competing with Boyd for a fullback spot and with Morgan comfortable with his role as the bench-utility, it's hard to see Moylan being a factor off the bench. 

My starting Kangaroos backline with Morgan coming off the bench would be...

Boyd, Ferguson, Dugan, Inglis, Mansour, Thurston, Cronk.

Meninga has named a Kangaroos squad that covers all possibilities and requirements. Most notably, he has ushered in a new wave of high-calibre Aussie talent who will take the Kangaroos forward in the next five years. There's also been a move to restore whatever pride in the Kangaroos jersey had been lost previously and Meninga has juggled the non-selection of Fifita nicely by hyping up the desire to select a squad that maintains the prestige and honour fitting of the jersey.