Ireland announce World Cup squad

Rugby League Ireland have announced their squad for the upcoming World Cup and there is an exciting look to the squad which has a mix of seasoned Irish internationals, domestic players and debutants.

IRE

Mark Aston has kept the core squad together that have been a part of the last few European Championships and the players that qualified for the tournament last Autumn.

The evergreen Liam Finn and Scott Grix lead the side out as captain and vice-captain and they have over 20 years experience now playing for Ireland.

Irish born NRL and Super League giant James Hasson leads out an impressive pack that includes youngsters like Brad Singleton, the King brothers and Joe Philbin of Warrington who impressed in the qualifiers, as well as Kyle Amor, Anthony Mullally, Tyrone McCarthy and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook who bring real quality and experience to the side. The hooker position sees Michael McIlorum return to the Wolfhounds after a long absence and his direction and aggression will be a huge asset.

Youth is a key part of the squad and players like Liam Kay, Jack Higginson, Ollie Roberts and Will Hope are likely to star for Ireland into the future.

The domestic competition has got a greater involvement this time round and Matty Hadden features again after being involved in 2013 and is selected alongside James Kelly, Casey Dunne and Alan McMahon who have been central to the growth of the game in Ireland. Mikey Russell is also involved in the party and will travel as a reserve.

Ireland Rugby League World Cup 2017 squad