A Tonga invitational team stunned the Kangaroos 16-12 in Auckland to become the first second-tier side to upset the reigning world champions.

"I don't think Australia respected the opposition," Johns said on the Nine Network following their broadcast of the contest on Saturday night.

The match at Eden Park was the second of two Tests scheduled for Australia that began with last week's romp of New Zealand in Wollongong.

"It was the last game and I think they were thinking they would roll the sleeves up for 20 minutes and they would get the job done," Johns said.

"I think they need to have a real hard look at themselves some of the guys."

Another ex-skipper in Brad Fittler claimed some players had let the jersey down and were simply waiting for the rugby league calendar to finish.

He predicted some axings by coach Mal Meninga for their poor showings.

"If Mal is fair dinkum, he is looking at that game thinking, 'We might need a few new players here', because I thought some of their efforts were terrible," he said.

"They didn't put their hands up in big moments and took really easy options and let each other down. They let Australia down, they let the jersey down.

"And it was a really poor standard.

"They set a great standard down in Illawarra and they just didn't back it up at all, so there is a good chance a few of these guys won't be there next year."

Fittler took particular aim at Daly Cherry-Evans and Latrell Mitchell, the latter of whom the NSW State of Origin coach dropped after game one this year.

"Daly Cherry-Evans wasn't doing anything in attack," Fittler said.

"He was giving no direction, but his defence was giving them so much trouble. He left poor Jack Wighton and a few of them stranded at different times.

"Latrell Mitchell came up with some bad errors and some really soft options."

Meninga conceded his players lacked enough composure and patience, while also being guilty of too many errors.

He also pointed out to a regeneration of a squad that included six players either playing their second game for Australia or making their debut.

He also suggested most of his players would be going to Europe next year.

"If i can say this, we're going through a bit of a transition ourselves, a lot of younger players come into the footy team," Meninga said.

"We want to win every game we play in the green-and-gold jersey.

"But it will be a really good learning curve for the debutants. We've had six debutants this year, we had three last year.

"So there's a bit of a changing of the guard."

Australian Associated Press