00:02From one tropical destination to another, Ethan Strange was enjoying a Thailand holiday when the Kangaroos called the Raiders star
00:10to Townsville.
00:12I'm still 22 years old and a kid getting told you're probably going to debut for Australia is really special,
00:17so yeah, I was ecstatic.
00:19He's expecting to make his debut off the bench as Australia recalls Reece Walsh to fullback and pairs Cameron Munster
00:27with Tom Dearden as halfback.
00:29Reshuffling after a tight win over Fiji.
00:32We were a bit sloppy, didn't have a whole heap of opportunity but we've had a good week of training
00:38and hopefully we can change that this weekend.
00:41The Saturday Townsville game against the Cook Islands is already drawing crowds.
00:46Excited about it all week, so excited to have the day off school as well I guess.
00:50I'm excited to watch the Cook Islanders play and to see their war cry and stuff.
00:56Yeah, I love watching them, we watch it on the TV and stuff.
00:59Cook Islands players enjoying a warm reception after two losses.
01:05I2 fullback Valentine Holmes enjoying the homecoming.
01:09Born and raised, grew up playing footy and fell in love with the game here so to be able to
01:14play at an international level, a World Cup game here in Townsville was pretty cool and pretty special.
01:19Meantime the Wheelaroos are on the hunt for their first league World Cup title.
01:25We definitely have the team to take this out, handsomely.
01:29Australia is hosting the tournament for the first time in almost 20 years, this time in Wollongong.
01:35It's something I've never experienced, I get goosebumps thinking about it.
01:44It's something I've never experienced, I get goosebumps thinking about it.
01:45I'm the ones who take this out, 돋 lean.
