LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters faces a significant change in his centre pairing for the upcoming Ashes series, following the injury of Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. With Hammer officially ruled out of the England tour, opportunities arise for Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic to reunite in the centres for Australia, a pairing that previously excelled together for the Blues during the Origin series.
Last year, Trbojevic and Tabuai-Fidow served as the Kangaroos' starting centres during a successful Pacific Championships campaign, where both players delivered impressive performances. However, Walters must now find a replacement for Tabuai-Fidow after scans showed he sustained a grade three tear of his medial collateral ligament (MCL) during the Dolphins' final round victory over Canberra, an injury that is likely to keep him sidelined for about eight weeks.
Reports indicated that Tabuai-Fidow was contemplating a change in national allegiance from Australia to Samoa. The Dolphins confirmed this, releasing further information regarding his injury, which could mean the Hammer has played his last Test for Australia.
On Monday, the Dolphins announced that Tabuai-Fidow had been 'ruled out of the upcoming Pacific Championships,' indicating he had already informed the club of his decision not to participate in the Ashes series. "The Hammer is expected to be ruled out for approximately eight weeks, ruling him out of the tournament," the club stated.
Following his rehabilitation, Tabuai-Fidow will likely wait until November to commence pre-season training with the Dolphins. His absence from the Ashes series adds to the challenges facing Walters, who has already lost Payne Haas and will also miss Rabbitohs' Origin forward Cameron Murray, who has stepped back from selection after struggling with injuries throughout the season.
Nonetheless, the news about Tabuai-Fidow may prove advantageous for South Sydney fullback Mitchell, who has expressed his eagerness to participate in the Ashes despite a challenging season marked by injuries. After playing only 11 games for the Rabbitohs in 2025 due to a back issue that sidelined him during the crucial end-of-season matches, Mitchell made his intentions clear to Walters last month regarding his desire to be included in Australia's touring party.
"I did speak to him earlier this week and I'm going to catch up with him next week in Sydney," Walters remarked on his conversation with Mitchell. "From what I can gather he was very keen to catch up and have a coffee so that's always a good sign."