South Sydney Rabbitohs skipper Cameron Murray will be free to front up for the Australian Kangaroos during the Pacific Championships with confirmation he will be allowed to serve his one-game suspension during the Prime Minster's XIII game.
The NRL and Australian Rugby League Commission confirmed recently that the annual clash would be played in Port Moresby against a Papua New Guinea team on October 13 - the Sunday after the grand final, and week before the Pacific Championships commences.
The PM's XIII team is likely to be made up of players in Australian contention who did not play in the grand final and potentially the preliminary finals.
It could rule any players out from the Penrith Panthers, Melbourne Storm, Cronulla Sharks and Sydney Roosters as they rest before the commencement of the international tri-series which for the first time also features a promotion and relegation game for the third-placed side against the winner of the Pacific Bowl tournament.
Murray copped a three-game suspension in the final rounds of the year for the Rabbitohs for a high shot on Newcastle Knights' second-rower Tyson Frizell, but News Corp are now reporting that given he was likely to have been picked for the PM's XIII side as match practice, he will be able to serve his suspension during that game.
The Rabbitohs and ARLC wrote to judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew with the request weeks ago.
Murray, who is among the candidates to captain the Australian team if James Tedesco is left out, will hence be available for Tests against both New Zealand and Tonga.
It's Australia's final run in the Pacific Championships for the foreseeable future, with England to tour for test matches next year, and the World Cup to be held on Australian soil in 2026 after that.
