Raiders playmaker Ethan Strange would have impressed Australian coach Kevin Walters after playing centre for the PM XIII in the 28-10 win over PNG with Jye Gray also mounting pressure on Latrell Mitchell at the Rabbitohs. Strange was one of the young stars selected in Walters’ 24-man Kangaroos squad to tour England for the Ashes.
The 21-year-old has played five-eighth for the Raiders in the NRL, but has been tipped to potentially fill in at centre for Australia on the tour. And Strange was solid against a spirited PNG side after the PM XIII ran in eight tries to two in a one-sided encounter.
Trai Fuller ran in three first-half tries, before adding a fourth in the second-half, with the goal-kicking going astray in Port Moresby. But Walters would have been keeping an eye on his players heading over to England this week for the three-match series against England.
And Strange showed he certainly could fill in at centre if called upon in England with Kotoni Staggs and Gehamat Shibasaki set to be the starters come the first clash at Wembley. Staggs was always set to start at centre after a stellar season for the Broncos in 2025 with injuries leaving the depth thin.
And his club teammate Shibasaki propelled himself into the conversation after the State of Origin series. He then produced in the NRL grand final against the Melbourne Storm and secured a place, and most likely a starting position, alongside Staggs for Wembley.
There were question marks over Strange’s selection in the 24-player squad with Walters selecting four other playmakers, including Nathan Cleary and Cameron Munster, all set to play ahead of him. Munster will no doubt start at five-eighth, but Strange will benefit from travelling and learning from the Queensland star in his first tour.
But other than gaining plenty of experience, Strange could also step into the backline in case of injury with Australia carrying less depth in the centre pairing. While Walters would have been impressed with a number of his selected stars performing in their international hit-out, South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett would have watched Gray produce the goods once again. This leaves Bennett another big call next year on where to play Gray and Mitchell in the same side.
Jye Gray mounts pressure on Latrell Mitchell
Gray recently won the Burrow Appreciation Award for the Rabbitohs having been recognised for a brilliant season. Bennett’s side struggled with injuries in 2025, which crippled their season. Although one of the shining lights was Gray’s performances in the No.1 jersey.
And he once again produced the goods for Australia with his speed causing PNG all sorts of trouble. He put Fuller over untouched for the first try, Gray put Fuller over again after 30 minutes after the fullback continued to cause havoc.
Gray was given a break with 16 minutes left, but the fullback finished with two try assists, two linebreak assists and a linebreak of his own. And coach Bennett will now need to figure out how to get the best out of both Mitchell and Gray.
Mitchell only managed 11 games for Souths this season due to injuries, suspension and State of Origin commitments. And across his six seasons at the Rabbitohs, the superstar No.1 has only averaged 14 games a year.
There have been calls for Bennett to move Mitchell to the centres on a permanent basis, which would allow the energetic Gray to remain in the No.1 jersey. However, Bennett has generally preferred Mitchell in the No.1 jersey when fully fit. This has seen Gray come off the bench as a utility. Although South Sydney fans clearly value Gray’s efffort and his reward shows there are plenty of fans wanting more minutes from the fullback.
The Rabbitohs will also be concerned about Gray’s future. The fullback has been linked with R360 and the Perth Bears. Gray might opt to remain at South Sydney if he is handed the fullback role on a regular basis. Mitchell opted out of the Kangaroos tour due to injury and will be looking to get a full pre-season under his belt heading into the 2026 NRL season.
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