Assisting Fittler will be Parramatta Under 20s coach Luke Burt, who played 264 games for the Eels, while Tim Mannah, Robbie Farah, Mitchell Moses, Josh Mansour and Michael Lichaa are the big names eligible for the Cedars. “Ivan Cleary is a smart cookie so they are organised, they have got a really good committee and they have got some really good players,” Fittler said.
The Cedars play Australia, England and France, whom they are expecting to battle it out with for the third quarter-final berth from the pool, but Fittler is unfazed and views the World Cup as an opportunity to put rugby league on the map in Lebanon.
“Lebanon has got 15 years of rugby league history whereas those three countries have got about 330 years so it is a great opportunity to set a standard and try to make an impact,” he said.
“We have got very limited parameters in rugby league about how far our game can go but if we don’t try then it definitely won’t go far.
“There are competitions running all over the world, I don’t know what the level of all those competitions is but there are pockets of rugby league all over the world and if you love the game and you feel anything about it the World Cup has got to excite you a little bit.
“It’s going to be a big ask but we have got a couple of games in Sydney where we should be nearly able to fill out the stadium and if we can get all those people turning up then hopefully the players will feel that energy and that is what normally turns great performances.”
Fittler will head to Lebanon later in the year to assess talent in the local competition, which grew out of the establishment of a team to play in the now defunct World Sevens tournament in Sydney.
While there he will also meet stakeholders of the Lebanese Rugby League Federation’s and provide technical support for the five local leagues, which are supported by two college divisions, two school divisions and a newly formed women’s competition.
“They have got a good comp over in Lebanon, they just beat Italy in a Test last week so while you have got people who are passionate about the game let’s see if we can grow it organically and get it going,” Fittler said.
“I think everyone sits around and says how can the NRL help us but they have issues to worry about here so let’s not wait for the NRL, let’s see what we can go and do.
“It is about getting some pathways set up and just being organised generally. A lot of people here are putting their hand in their pocket, a lot of them are giving a lot of their time for nothing so that is the basis for anything good and they have made the first couple of steps.”
LRLF CEO Remond Safi hailed Fittler’s appointment as a positive outcome not only for the Cedars’ World Cup campaign but also the continuing improvement of the game in Lebanon.
“The LRLF was really pleased with the calibre of candidates who applied for the role, but Brad’s ability and desire to engage with the Lebanese rugby league community, not just the national team, has been the most pleasing aspect of our discussions. On behalf of the LRLF I would like to welcome Brad on board and we are all really excited about working with him.”
Vs France
Played: 4
W 3 – D 0 – L 1
Purchase Tickets to France v Lebanon in Canberra on 29/10/2017
Vs England
Played: 0
W 0 – D 0 – L 0
Purchase Tickets to England v Lebanon in Sydney on 4/11/2017
Vs Australia
Played: 0
W 0– D 0 – L 0
Purchase Tickets to England v Lebanon in Sydney on 11/11/2017
By Brad Walter | @BradWalterSport
Chief Correspondent, RLWC2017