IRELAND coach Andy Kelly breathed a huge sigh of relief yesterday when Australia omitted Brett White from their World Cup squad, freeing up the Melbourne Storm prop to join the men from the Emerald Isle on their trip into the unknown.
White is one of three NRL players in Kelly's 24-man squad which will meet up in Sydney next week to prepare for tough group fixtures against Samoa and Tonga. The Irish also have nine players from Super League clubs in their ranks, but White's presenc
e is a huge bonus for the World Cup minnows.
"Brett is probably still licking his wounds a little after Melbourne's (NRL grand final) defeat, but I've no doubt that he'll be looking forward to a great World Cup experience with us," said Kelly. "It will be useful having an NRL prop forward on our side because Samoa and Tonga will be formidable opponents."
While the majority of his squad qualify as second or third generation Irishmen, Kelly has also included three players who cut their teeth in the country's domestic competition with Ross Barbour, Steve Gibbons and Wayne Kerr all haling from Carlow Crusaders.
Ireland squad:
R Barbour (Carlow), B Beswick (Widnes), D Blanch (Wakefield), M Cassidy (Barrow),
G Corcoran (Sheffield), L Doran (Leigh), L Finn (Dewsbury), S Finnigan (Bradford),
K Fitzpatrick (Salford), S Gibbons (London Skolars), S Gleeson (Wakefield), S Grix (Wakefield, capt), G Haggerty (Harlequins), B Harrison (Warrington), G Holroyd (Halifax), W Kerr
(London Skolars), S Littler (Salford), S McDonnell (Wests Tigers), M McIlorum (Wigan),
E O'Carroll (Wigan), M Platt (Bradford), P Richards (Wigan), R Tandy (Wests Tigers),
Brett White (Melbourne).
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