Sydney Roosters enforcer Lindsay Collins has been ruled out of the Rugby League World Cup with a foot injury and will be replaced by Lindsay Smith.
Collins was a walk-up selection for the Australian side, having been a mainstay of the representative outfits for both Queensland and Australia in recent years.
Noted for his big-game ability, Collins was immense for the Sydney Roosters during the finals series and was expected to play a prominent role off the bench for Kevin Walters' side during the World Cup.
News Corp are now reporting, however, that Collins has suffered a foot injury and will miss the tournament, having played the final weeks of the NRL campaign with the injury.
Collins is set to be replaced in the squad by Penrith Panthers star forward Lindsay Smith, who will be parachuted straight into the 23-man group as a direct replacement, while St George Illawarra Dragons forward Hamish Stewart will remain on the shadow players list given he is a second-rower and lock forward.
Smith has previously played two Tests for the Kangaroos, having been named in the 2024 Pacific Championships squad as a surprise selection after the Penrith Panthers won the Grand Final that year.
Smith has played 106 NRL games and, at 26 years of age, is among Penrith's forward pack leaders.
The Sydney-born forward played 26 games of the possible 27 this year, averaging 97 metres per contest and tackling at 96 per cent efficiency.
His selection likely sees him edge out NSW Origin forward Mitch Barnett for a spot in the revised squad, with Barnett preferred by Blues coach Laurie Daley in the middle of the year at State of Origin time.
Walters' 23-man squad raised eyebrows when it was named on Monday morning, with a lack of outside back depth, but the Kangaroos have plenty through the middle of the park, with Patrick Carrigan, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Cameron Murray and captain Isaah Yeo, who will play through a ruptured pectoral muscle as he did during the NRL finals, in the mix for the prop and lock starting positions.
Collins, Reuben Cotter and South Sydney Rabbitohs forward Keaon Koloamatangi were also in the mix for the front-row spots after being named in the squad.
Australia open the tournament next Thursday in Sydney against New Zealand, before clashing with Fiji in Brisbane and the Cook Islands in Townsville over the following two weekends.
