Australian Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has demanded improvement from his playing group after labelling yesterday’s training session their “worst” of the Rugby League World Cup.
The Kangaroos face the Vodafone Fiji Bati in the semi-final tonight with the winner to meet either England or Tonga in the tournament decider at Suncorp Stadium.
Meninga denied their lapse in standard was a cause for concern but said it was important he see improvement in their final training run before their must-win clash against the Bati.
Australia cannot afford to be complacent and take it easy this week, with Fiji already proving their credentials after disposing of the second‑ranked New Zealand Kiwis in the quarter‑finals.
Meninga insisted that would not be the case, saying those types of training sessions were unavoidable after such a long campaign.
Meanwhile Kangaroos captain Cameron Smith says they will not underestimate the Bati.
Despite the poor showing at training, the Kangaroos are still confident heading into tomorrow's game after disposing of Samoa 46‑0 in their quarter‑final in Darwin.
The Vodafone Fiji Bati will take on Australia at 10pm tonight while Tonga will play England at 6pm Saturday in the second semi-final.
