Bradman Best Makes His Kangaroos Debut Against Fiji, 13 Years After Writing It on a Chalkboard
Bradman Best makes his Test debut for Australia against Fiji at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday night. He is one of four Kangaroos debutants in the starting side, with Sam Walker, Blayke Brailey and David Fifita.
A photo from 2013 has been going round this week. It shows Best in Year 6 at Woy Woy, holding a chalkboard that says “Play Rugby League for Australia”.
The chalkboard
The photo was taken by his Year 6 teacher, Tanya Doorn, who is still at St John the Baptist school in Woy Woy, the ABC reported. “He was never the loudest player or a loud show off. He was a very humble student,” she said.
Best was less keen on the classroom. “I hated school so I put all my eggs into one basket and that was rugby league,” he told reporters in Brisbane. “Ever since I was a little kid I’ve dreamt of this, it’s special and surreal.”
He played his junior football for the Woy Woy Roosters, signed with Newcastle and made his NRL debut in 2019. He is 25. Three weeks ago his Knights lost the grand final 19-18 to the Roosters.
Greg Inglis, and his dad
His football hero was Greg Inglis, who played 39 Tests for the Kangaroos. “I just loved how powerful he was,” Best said. “How strong, athletic and fast he was, he could do it all. Growing up, I loved watching GI.”
The other hero was closer to home. His father, Roger Best, played lower grades for Manly before joining the London Broncos in Super League in 1997, the ABC reported.
Suncorp is a ground he knows from the other side. He has two tries in two wins from two Origin appearances there for New South Wales, nrl.com noted. “I love playing at Suncorp,” he said. “It’s a great stadium with plenty of history and I like to put myself in those positions.”
The team Walters picked
Kevin Walters has rotated his side after the 24-22 win over New Zealand. James Tedesco replaces Reece Walsh at fullback, Lindsay Smith comes into the front row and Cameron Murray starts at lock. Walsh and Latrell Mitchell move to the bench, and Harry Grant, Liam Martin and Isaah Yeo are set to be rested, according to nrl.com’s team news.
Jack Bostock keeps his place on the wing after his hat-trick on debut, and Kotoni Staggs is Best’s centre partner. Tom Dearden starts at five-eighth, having come on last week when Mitchell Moses was injured. Fiji have named the same squad that beat the Cook Islands 40-12, with Brandon Wakeham at halfback.
When it starts
Kick-off is 7.05pm in Brisbane, 8.05pm in Sydney and 9.05am in the UK. Every remaining kick-off is on our World Cup UK times page. Both teams won in round one, and only the top two in Pool A reach the semi-finals. The live table is updated after every game.
