Most capped Irish rugby league players of all time

Among a sea of names, there is no denying that there have been some Irish rugby league players that have stood out throughout time. Their abilities helped them represent their country time and time again and win many matches. While the rugby league team might not be as successful as its rugby union counterpart, it is still ranked 11th on the IRL Men’s World Ranking as of 21 December 2022. Here are a few of the most-capped players of all time that every Irish fan of rugby league should be aware of.

Brian Carney

Born in Cork in 1976, Brian Carney is a rare dual code rugby player, which means that he played as a wing for both the Irish rugby league national team and the Irish rugby union national team. He represented the league team in 2000 and made four appearances. Moreover, he played 14 matches for Great Britain. On the other hand, Carney also made four appearances for the Irish rugby union national team from 2007 to 2009. He retired in 2009 and is now a commentator and presenter.

Liam Finn

England-born Liam Finn represented the Irish rugby league national team from 2007 to 2018. He made 30 appearances during that period, which makes him the most capped player for Ireland. As a stand-off, scrum-half, and hooker, he scored 166 points, 67 goals, and 8 tries. Finn was named captain in 2012 and led the team during the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. He is currently the head coach of the Dewsbury Rams.

Luke Ricketson

Although he was born in Australia, Luke Ricketson also played for Ireland. In 2000, he appeared in four Rugby League World Cup matches of the Irish rugby league national team. “Ricko” later played six times for the Australian national team. The positions he played in are lock and second-row. After retiring, he took part in the Australian Dancing with the Stars.

Barrie McDermott

Barrie McDermott is a prop that played for England, Ireland, and Great Britain. When it comes to Ireland, he made 15 appearances and scored 8 points from 2000 to 2005. McDermott retired in 2006 and has since worked as a pundit at live games and taken part in light-hearted features as an off-field character. Furthermore, he is the Head of Youth Development at Leeds Rhinos.

Rory Kostjasyn

Another former rugby league footballer that appeared for Ireland is Rory Kostjasyn. In 2013, he played three matches for the country. He mostly played as a hooker but was known to fill in at five-eighth and lock. Due to an injury, he retired in 2017. Since then, he has been involved in coaching.

Ben Harrison

Born in 1988, Ben Harrison is a retired rugby league player that could play as a prop, loose forward, and second-row forward. He played for Ireland three times in 2008. Harrison also appeared for England and England Knights.

Kevin Campion

While born in Queensland, Australia, Kevin Campion played for Ireland in 2000. He made four appearances as a lock and second-row player but hasn’t scored any points, goals, or tries. Campion retired in 2004 after a decade of playing the game.

George King

In terms of players that are still active, there are quite a few that can set a record for being the most capped ever. For example, the current captain of the Ireland men’s national rugby league team is George King. Born in 1995 in Huddersfield, England, he joined the national team of Ireland in 2016. Since then, he has made 13 appearances. During these matches, he scored six tries and 24 points. King plays as a loose forward and prop. Seeing as how he is still playing, you can watch him live and even make some wagers. If you’re a fan of rugby league and want to bet online, this site has an extensive list of betting options that you can try out.

Robbie Mulhern

Another active rugby league player you can watch in the Irish national team is Robbie Mulhern. He also plays as a prop and loose forward. From Leeds, England, this 28-year-old has been appearing for Ireland since 2014. In his five matches, he hasn’t scored any tries, goals, or points. Mulhern also played for England and England Knights in 2018.

Michael Ward

Michael Ward is yet another prop player that plays for Ireland in international matches. He has appeared in five matches so far since 2018. However, he hasn’t yet earned any points. At 31, he is one of the older players in the team.

Ronan Michael

Even though he’s nine years younger than Ward, Ronan Michael made one more appearance than him. He started appearing for the national team of Ireland also in 2018 and played six matches. Born in 2000, in Balbriggan, Ireland, Michael plays as a prop in rugby league after growing up playing rugby union.

Ed Chamberlain

Playing as a centre, wing, and fullback, Ed Chamberlain is another player that has appeared for the Ireland men’s national rugby league team. Born in 1996, he was first called up to represent the country in 2017, despite being from England. In his six matches, he scored two tries, three goals, and 14 points in total.

Liam Byrne

Even though he was born in Salford, Greater Manchester, Liam Byrne is of Irish heritage and has been asked to represent the country on a national level in 2018. This 1999-born prop player has made seven appearances for the national team so far, but he still hasn’t scored any tries or points despite scoring two tries in his club career.

James Bentley

James Bentley is a versatile player that has been representing Ireland since 2018. Although he was born in Leeds, this 25-year-old has been very successful in the Irish green. He made eight appearances and scored three tries and 12 points. Bentley can play as a hooker, second-row, and loose forward.

Joe Keyes

A player that has double digits for the Ireland men’s national rugby league team is Joe Keyes. This Enfield, London-born 27-year-old has made 11 appearances for the Irish team. During these matches, he scored a try, three goals, and one field goal and earned 11 points. He made his debut in the 2015 European Cup.

James Hasson

Of Irish descent, James Hasson was born in England and lived in Sydney, Australia since a young age. However, he has been representing Ireland in international matches since 2013. In that time, he has made nine appearances and scored two tries and earned eight points. This 30-year-old plays as a prop.

Toby King

Toby King has also made a few appearances for the Irish national team. He was first called up in 2016 and played four matches, during which he scored two tries. He also competed for the England Knights since 2018. Born in Huddersfield in 1996, he plays as a centre. Toby is the younger brother of Ireland’s captain George King.

Frankie Halton

Frankie Halton is originally from Manchester, England, but he’s been representing the Ireland men’s national rugby league team since 2019. He has made five appearances and scored one try. Halton plays as a second-row forward.

Luke Keary

Luke Keary is from Ipswich, Queensland and he played two matches for Australia in 2018 and one for New South Wales in 2020. Since 2022, he has been representing Ireland seeing as how he is of Irish descent. Keary debuted at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, where he was the man of the match in the victory over Jamaica. He played three matches in total as of 29 October 2022.

Josh Cook

Another player that made his debut in the 48-2 win over Jamaica in 2022 is Josh Cook. This Sydney-born hooker played three matches in total and is yet to gain any points. As he was born in 1999, there is a long career ahead of him.

Louis Senior

The 2022 game against Jamaica was instrumental for many careers. For example, Louis Senior also debuted in this match and scored two tries. In his three matches, he scored a total of six tries. This player born in 2000 plays as a wing.

Innes Senior

Louis Senior has a twin that also plays for the national team. In addition to wing, Innes can also play as a centre. After debuting in 2022, he played in three matches and scored one try.

Brendan O’Hagan

Brendan O’Hagan was born in Gosford, New South Wales, but as he is of Irish descent, he decided to play for the Irish national team. Since 2022, he made three appearances and scored a try against Jamaica at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. He can play as a stand-off, scrum-half, and hooker.

As the national team has existed since only 1995, there is still room to grow and win titles. Who is your favourite Irish player of all time? Is there someone important that we left out of the list? Seeing as how there are many up-and-coming young players, who do you think has a chance of becoming the most-capped ever?