As exclusively revealed by Love Rugby League, senior officials are considering bringing back the Great Britain brand for a tour of Australia in 2025.
Great Britain last took to the pitch in 2019 with a tour of the Southern Hemisphere, but it didn’t go to plan. Wayne Bennett’s squad lost all four of their tour matches – New Zealand (twice), Tonga and Papua New Guinea.
But in the five years since, there have been some new names enter the Test arena, who could help Great Britain to their first victory since 2007.
There’s plenty of British-eligible talent across both Super League and the NRL, so here’s our pick for a possible Great Britain line-up next year..
1. Jack Welsby (St Helens, England)
Jack Welsby in action for England at the delayed 2021 Rugby League World Cup
Saints full-back Welsby is one of Super League’s elite players, and he is a shoo-in to start for Great Britain should they return to action.
Having made his international debut in 2022, Welsby has 11 England appearances to his name thus far, scoring three tries for Shaun Wane’s side including one at St James’ Park against Samoa in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. The 23-year-old has already captained England on two occasions, and would likely be a candidate for the Great Britain skipper’s role too.
2. Dom Young (Sydney Roosters, England)
Who else could really occupy this spot? NRL star Young has shone since his move Down Under, already scoring more than 50 first-grade tries in Australia with his 23rd birthday not until next month.
He has played five games for England and scored nine tries. No doubt he’d have had more to his name on the international stage had he not been forced to miss last autumn’s Tonga Test series whitewash win due to illness, too.
3. Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos, England)
Harry Newman scores his first England try against Tonga at Headingley in November 2023
Though his form at club level for Leeds has been somewhat inconsistent, England boss Wane managed to get the best out of Newman when he handed him an international debut last year, and that’s why he features in our Great Britain team.
The Rhinos centre is such an explosive, dynamic player when on song that it makes sense to include him. Someone like him could inspire the sort of top level performance you need to beat a top tier nation like Australia. Newman has made four appearances for England to date, featuring in last month’s Test victory against France in which he grabbed an assist.
4. Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins, England)
Dolphins ace Farnworth, born in the Lancashire village of Blacko, was another one of the NRL’s English contingent that missed last year’s Tonga series, but he starts in our Great Britain team.
At 24, Farnworth is closing in on the milestone of a century of NRL appearances, and was at the heart of Brisbane Broncos’ run to the NRL Grand Final last season. He’s been just as impressive this year in a Dolphins shirt too. The centre has made four appearances for England to date, all of which came in the delayed 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
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5. Tom Johnstone (Catalans Dragons, England)
England winger Tom Johnstone (ball in hand) celebrates a try against Tonga during the 2023 autumn Test Series
Five years after his previous cap, Wakefield Trinity-bound winger Johnstone returned to the international scene in the Tonga series and scored two tries. He then added another two in last month’s victory against France to take his overall tally up to seven in five international appearances.
And with that record, added to the way he’s been performing in Super League over the last few years for Catalans, he looks nailed on to be a mainstay moving forward whether that’s in an England or Great Britain shirt.
6. George Williams (Warrington Wolves, England)
Wane’s skipper and go-to man slots in at six. Williams took the England captaincy over in 2023, and it is incredibly likely he would lead a GB team into battle Down Under.
The Warrington playmaker already has a Great Britain cap to his name as he featured during the 2019 tour of the Southern Hemisphere, and he also has 19 England appearances on his CV with nine international tries to boot.
7. Harry Smith (Wigan Warriors, England)
Harry Smith in action for England during the 2023 autumn Test Series against Tonga
Slotting alongside Williams in the halves in our GB team is Harry Smith, whose England debut came in last year’s mid-season international against France. Just as he has with Super League, the Wigan academy product has taken to international rugby league like a duck to water – named the Player of the Series in the autumn whitewash over Tonga.
After that Tonga series, Smith was even nominated for the Golden Boot. He has featured five times for England now in total, but if he pulled on a GB shirt, would also be representing the Welsh heritage he holds via his grandfather, who hails from Cardiff.
8. Alex Walmsley (St Helens, England)
Saints prop Walmsley is the second member of the 2019 GB tour to make our potential 2025 team. The powerhouse prop featured in all four tests in the Southern Hemisphere under Bennett, and has seven further England appearances on his CV, but hasn’t featured on the international stage at all since 2021.
Prior to his injury earlier this year, the Red V forward had been in fine form again, and seems to be ageing like a fine wine having turned 34 in April. If he can hit the same levels after his latest rehab block, who’s to say he can’t earn himself a recall to the setup under Wane? He’d also get chance to represent his Scottish heritage for Great Britain.
9. Brad O’Neill (Wigan Warriors, England)
Brad O’Neill (left) is congratulated by Shaun Wane (right) following Wigan Warriors’ 2023 Super League Grand Final triumph against Catalans Dragons at Old Trafford
Wigan hooker O’Neill only made his international debut last month against France in Toulouse, but he quite comfortably makes it into our team. Given what he’s already achieved with the Warriors in the space of just 68 appearances, it’s easy to forget how young the Leigh native is – with his 22nd birthday not until this coming Monday (July 22)!
When you’ve achieved everything there is to achieve at club level, the international scene is next up to crack, and we’re sure he’ll give that a good go for years to come. A really remarkable talent.
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10. Luke Thompson (Wigan Warriors, England)
As expected, upon returning to Super League from the NRL, Thompson has been one of the best props we’ve seen in the competition this season. His arrival seems to have taken Wigan’s pack up yet another gear, delivering quality performances week in, week out as the Warriors go in search of a back-to-back titles.
Now 29, Thompson – who also has two tries in eight England appearances to his name – formed part of Bennett’s GB squad in 2019. It’d be superb to see him don a Lions shirt again next year.
11. John Bateman (Wests Tigers, England)
John Bateman celebrates one of England’s victories in the 2023 autumn Test Series against Tonga
The fourth member of that 2019 Great Britain side in our team is Bateman, who has been a standout for both England and Great Britain since making his test debut for the former in 2015. Between both, the back-rower now has 10 tries in 30 appearances to his name.
Bateman, a two-time Super League champion with Wigan, has been back Down Under since 2023 when he joined Wests. At the age of 30, he’s now made over 200 appearances in the British game and 75 in the NRL.
12. James Bell (St Helens, Scotland)
The only non-English international in our starting 13 is Saints forward Bell, who was actually born in New Zealand but represents Scotland via his heritage and made his debut for the Bravehearts back in 2017, representing the nation in both of the two most recent Rugby League World Cups.
Since joining the Red V in 2022, Bell has become one of Super League’s most consistent forwards, adding an enormous amount of versatility to the pack at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
13. Victor Radley (Sydney Roosters, England)
Tonga captain Addin Fonua-Blake tackles England’s Victor Radley during the 2023 autumn Test Series between the two nations
Rounding off our starting 13 is Roosters forward Victor Radley, who has been one of the top performers at loose forward in the NRL over the last few years, making over 130 first-grade appearances Down Under since his senior bow in 2017.
The 26-year-old – whose father is from Sheffield – has replicated that form for England too, featuring seven times for Wane’s side having made his debut during the delayed 2021 Rugby League World Cup. Radley’s only international try to date came in that World Cup against France in Bolton.
Bench
14. Mikey Lewis (Hull KR, England)
Though it’s a bit unconventional to have a half on the bench, it can work, and we think it could for Great Britain. KR star Lewis in fact came on as an interchange and had a positive effect for England against France in Toulouse last month.
That was his third England appearance having featured twice last autumn in the Test Series against Tonga, with the playmaker recently surpassing the milestone of 100 senior appearances at club level.
15. Jaimin Jolliffe (Gold Coast Titans, Ireland)
NRL star Jaimin Jolliffe in action for Ireland at the delayed 2021 Rugby League World Cup
The only Ireland representative in our GB side is Gold Coast ace Jolliffe. As you might imagine given he’s only ever played for the Titans, the forward was born Down Under – in the city of Wagga Wagga to be exact – but has Irish descent which links back to his paternal grandmother, who hailed from Northern Ireland.
He donned a shirt for the Wolfhounds twice in the delayed 2021 Rugby League World Cup, featuring against Lebanon and Jamaica, and could well prove a good option off the bench for the Lions come 2025.
16. Morgan Knowles (St Helens, England and Wales)
Following suit, the first – and only – player in this squad to have Welsh caps to his name, Saints forward Knowles featured four times for Wales at the start of his career, with three of those games coming in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
He was though handed an England debut in 2021, and has remained in Wane’s squad since, with seven appearances for his birth nation to date. Knowles – who has made over 200 appearances at club level donning the Red V – will add plenty of versatility coming off the bench for GB.
17. Kai Pearce-Paul (Newcastle Knights, England)
Kai Pearce-Paul in action for England in 2023
Lewisham-born Pearce-Paul is an electric talent, and his move to the NRL only appears to have made him a better player, featuring 16 times for the Knights to date. He – of course – won the Super League Grand Final last term with Wigan before heading Down Under, and is already well on his way to hitting a century of senior career appearances at the tender age of 23.
The back-rower also lifted the Challenge Cup with Wigan in 2022, the same year that he made his England debut in the World Cup against Greece. Wane named him as the unused 18th man in three other games in that tournament, but the youngster started last year in the mid-season test against France in Warrington, doubling his international appearance tally in the process.
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