Five of the best Ireland internationals

To celebrate St Patrick’s Day, we take a look at five of the best players to pull on the Irish jersey.

Stuart Littler

Known today for being the Head Coach of Swinton Lions, Litter is also the Head Coach of Ireland.

During his playing career, he represented Salford City Reds, Leigh Centurions, Rochdale Hornets and Swinton.

On the international stage, he scored an impressive 13 tries in 21 games for Ireland. He has made the fourth most appearances, scored the most tries and is third on Ireland’s all-time points list.

Since becoming Head Coach, he has successfully led Ireland to the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.

Karl Fitzpatrick

Before becoming the CEO of Warrington Wolves, Fitzpatrick had a very good career as a fullback.

He started out at Widnes Vikings, before going on to represent Swinton Lions and Salford Red Devils in a 10-year career.

For Ireland, he scored nine tries in 13 appearances and is the fourth highest all-time points scorer. He also represented Ireland in 2003 European Cup.

Liam Finn

The only active player remaining on the list, Finn currently plays for Dewsbury Rams in the Championship.

He has had a varied career, including spells in the Super League, the Championship and League One.

On the international stage, he is Ireland’s joint leader in terms of appearances, with 23 and he is also Ireland’s all-time leading points scorer with 170.

He was named captain in 2012 and led them during the 2013 and 2017 World Cups.

It is also likely he will be part of the squad for the 2021 World Cup too.

Phil Cantillon

A former dual-international player, Cantillon had represented Great Britain and England before going on to represent Ireland.

He started his playing career at Wigan Warriors, before going on to represent Keighley, Leeds, Widnes, Halifax and Rochdale.

He made 12 appearances for Ireland, and scored nine tries. Cantillon also captained the side in 2003 and led them during the European Nations tournament.

Cantillon broke several try-scoring records, including becoming the first Irish player to score ten tries, and four in one match.

When Cantillon was at his peak, Ireland became the second best team in Europe.

Brian Carney

Before he became a pundit on Sky Sports, Carney had an excellent dual-code career.

He started out in rugby league with the newly-formed Gateshead Thunder. He went on to play for Hull FC and Wigan Warriors before playing for Gold Coast Titans and Newcastle Knights in the NRL.

He caught the eye playing for Great Britain, and was part of their successful tour of Australia in 2006.

For Ireland, he scored two tries in four games.