HUNTER trio Layne Morgan, Maya Stewart and Leilani Nathan will be out to make amends for their early exit from the SUper W finals after being named in a new-look Wallaroos squad for a Test against Fijiana in Sydney on May 20.
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Morgan, Stewart and Nathan were part of the NSW Waratahs side upset 20-17 by Fiji Drua in the semi-final of the Super on April 30. Fiji went onto beat Queensland 38-30 in the final.
It was bitter disappointment for the Waratahs after they finished top of table with five wins from as many games.
Morgan, 24, made her Test debut against Brisbane in 2022 and has 11 Test caps.
The livewire scrum, who spends 15 hours on the road each week commuting from her home at Speers Point to Sydney for training and matches, had an outstanding Super W season, highlighted by two tried in a 31-5 thrashing of Fiji in the preliminary rounds.
Stewart, from Nelson Bay, crossed for five tries for the Waratahs in the Super W, including a double against the Brumbies.
The 23-year-old's one test cap was against Scotland at the World Cup last year after recovering from a ruptured ACL in her knee.
Nathan is among 11 uncapped players in the Wallroos squad.
The powerhouse back-rower, whose sister Nicole is in the Newcastle Knights NRLW side, is fresh from a breakout Super W season.
The 22-year-old is orginally from the Central Coast but moved Newcastle to attend school and studied physical education at the University of Newcastle.
She started rugby with Hamilton and now plays in Sydney at Easts.
The Wallaroos have undergone a major rebuild since the World Cup in November, where Australia went down to England 41-5 in the quarter-final. England went on to make the final, losing 34-31 to hosts New Zealand.
"With a packed international calendar, the 2023 season is full of opportunity for both our emerging and established players," coach Jay Tregonning said. "No-one has booked their spot in the team: everything is on the table, and players will be hungry to secure that gold jersey for our first Test match."
The athletes called into the squad distinguished themselves through the work ethic, commitment and drive they displayed during the Buildcorp Super W competition.
"After the most competitive Super W season in recent history, the excitement is high heading into camp later this week. No-one has booked their spot in the team: everything is on the table, and players will be hungry to secure that gold jersey for our first Test match."
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