The team news for Round Eight of the NRL has been confirmed and there are positives and negatives for the Englishmen in the competition.
Despite starting three weeks after Super League, the NRL has almost caught up on account of the Challenge Cup games with Round Eight set for this weekend compared to Super League’s Round Nine.
The opening seven rounds of the NRL have provided plenty of surprises with the huge fall-off of champions Penrith Panthers among those, as well as the fact that Canterbury Bulldogs remain the only unbeaten team.
There’s little to look at with those teams from an English fan perspective, although Bulldogs prop Max King has declared that his ‘phone is on’ should Shaun Wane ring about a possible Ashes call-up.
King was born in England whilst his Dad played for Huddersfield and there’s a chance that the prop could be in Shaun Wane’s plans, as will a number of other English stars Down Under.
Looking across the NRL team news for Round Eight, we’ve picked out which Englishmen are set to feature, and which have been dropped.
NRL team news with five England internationals to feature and another dropped
The key news from the NRL team announcements is that England winger Dom Young has been dropped by the Roosters with Trent Robinson favouring union convert Mark Nawaqanitawase , who had played in the centres last week due to Billy Smith’s suspension.
With Smith back, Nawaqanitawase has moved to the wing meaning Young, who scored 20 in 22 for the Roosters last year, has been dropped from the squad but his England teammate Victor Radley will play.
Max King is named for the Bulldogs where he will continue putting together a resume for potentially an Origin or England call-up as Canterbury put their unbeaten record on the line against Brisbane Broncos.
More key news sees Lewis Dodd dropped just a week after making his NRL debut with South Sydney Rabbitohs calling upon Jayden Sullivan in the halves and seeing Jye Gray shift from full-back to utility on the bench, the role Dodd had played in defeat to the Bulldogs.
John Bateman returns to action for North Queensland Cowboys after missing out in Round Seven due to a spider bite, whilst fellow second-rower Kai Pearce-Paul is named for Newcastle Knights as they travel to face New Zealand Warriors.
Fellow forwards Matty Nicholson and Morgan Smithies are named to start for Canberra against The Dolphins with Smithies recalled to the starting XIII.
Key ins & outs ahead of Round 8! pic.twitter.com/IOLjmFXi1I
— NRL (@NRL) April 22, 2025
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