Kangaroos captain Isaah Yeo has hinted that Reece Walsh is set to start at fullback for Australia's Rugby League World Cup opener against New Zealand on Thursday, while teammate James Tedesco is being managed carefully after the NRL grand final. Yeo is also pushing through a pectoral injury, choosing to delay surgery until after the tournament with the blessing of the Penrith Panthers.
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On Monday, Kangaroos captain Isaah Yeo offered indications about which of the two contenders — James Tedesco or Reece Walsh — would take the fullback position for Australia's opening World Cup fixture. Walters has kept his selection plans under wraps ahead of Thursday night's Australia versus New Zealand fixture at Allianz Stadium.
Speaking with reporters at the NSWRL Centre of Excellence three days before the match, Yeo gave the impression that Walsh would be handed the role. Heading into the representative contest, the Broncos player holds the Kangaroos fullback jersey on the strength of Australia's clean sweep of three Tests against the UK the previous year, yet Tedesco enters with his own claim — an NRL premiership alongside the Roosters and a Clive Churchill Medal from a standout season.
When asked directly about his confidence in Walsh, Yeo described his belief in the player as strong, pointing to a track record built over an extended period and noting that Walsh had performed at a high level during the previous year's Ashes series. An ankle problem toward the end of the year restricted the number of appearances Walsh was able to make.
Yeo also suggested that Tedesco's workload might be managed carefully, with the coaching staff potentially holding him back until later stages of the tournament — a reflection, Yeo indicated, of how much the team relies on his ability to conjure attacking opportunities that others cannot. Yeo noted that the Roosters player had been carrying a bandaged knee following the 19-18 grand final victory over the Knights, adding that Tedesco had been given some relief during training sessions at the back, and that while the team composition remained unclear, the squad was well-placed in that area.
Each player has previously taken home the Clive Churchill Medal, marking them as proven performers at the highest level of the game. Squad depth throughout the Australian team's roster stands as one of the programme's defining characteristics.
Yeo is pressing on toward the World Cup while carrying a pectoral injury that will require surgery, with his workload in training kept lighter over the past fortnight to manage the demands on his body. Backed by Penrith's support, Yeo opted to defer surgery until the tournament concludes, a timeline that is set to keep him sidelined when the Panthers open their 2027 season, though he noted after his preliminary-final appearance that the knee had given him no trouble.
Yeo later reflected that passing up a World Cup appearance would have been something to regret for the rest of his career. Both Ivan and the club conveyed the position that regret over the decision would have been a shared outcome, and Yeo noted that authorisation had been granted by those parties beforehand.
The relevant area was reported to be free of complications and in good order. Surgery was planned for the close of the year, with Yeo noting that others would be undergoing the same procedure around that time.