Wales have named seven potential debutants in the 19-man squad to face Ireland in Neath on Saturday.
Hull FC’s Denive Balmforth, 22, is the most experienced of the seven, with 39 Super League appearances already to his name.
Charlie Glover and Owen Restall were both in the Wales squad in 2023, playing in an exhibition match against Cumbria. Glover made his Super League debut this season for Salford, going over for his first senior try against Hull KR in July.
Wigan’s Sam Dickenson has been starring in their academy side and captained Wales U16s to the Four Nations title in 2024.
Charlie Newton has faced Ireland at The Gnoll already this year, lining up for Wales U18 in May. He has performed well in Huddersfield Giants’ academy in 2025.
George Birch played all three matches for Wales U18 in 2023. He has been a regular in the Newcastle Thunder side for the last two seasons.
Finally, Hunslet’s Lloyd McEwan-Peters will hope to celebrate his 20th birthday on October 25th with a first senior cap. He last pulled on a Wales shirt in 2022 with the U16s.
Of the remaining players, only four have more ten or more senior caps to their name, as new head coach Paul Berry looks to developing players as regulars in preparation for the 2030 World Cup.
The most experienced, Rhodri Lloyd, on 21 caps, will make his final professional rugby league appearance this Saturday before retiring.
He is pleased to be finishing where it all started. His first professional club appearance was with South Wales Scorpions, who were based at The Gnoll at the time.
“It’s a dream for me,” he said. “I played a lot of rugby at The Gnoll with the Scorpions when I was a young 17-year-old boy. It’s a stone’s throw away from where my sister lives and not far from where I originally come from in Caerphilly.
“So, it’ll be great just to have all the family there and just to enjoy the moment. I’ve 80 minutes of rugby left to play and I’ll being doing that for the red of Wales. That’s something that I’m really looking forward to doing, and hopefully it’ll be it’ll be a good day.”
Head coach Paul Berry said: “This Autumn is the start of putting ourselves in the best position we can to qualify for the World Cup in 2030.
“It’s an opportunity for some young players to start their own stories as senior internationals and I’m excited to see how they rise to the challenge.
Due to issues with our ticketing system, we are now accepting cash payments only at the gate. Tickets already bought online are still valid.
Tickets are priced at £15 for adults, £10 concessions, £5 for children aged 12-16 years old, free for aged 11 or under.
For hospitality inquiries, please email info@walesrugbyleague.co.uk.
