Rugby League World Cup: 10 players who will light up the tournament

The YP’s rugby league writer James O’Brien has gone through the squad lists and come up with TEN players he believes will light up the tournament over the coming weeks. Watch our video above, scroll through the list below and see if you agree, leaving your own thoughts and suggestions for potential RLWC stars at the bottom of the page.

Herbie Farnworth (England): Farnworth was a useful footballer in his youth, having earned a place in Manchester United’s academy, but he caught the rugby league bug and is now a star in the NRL with Brisbane Broncos. Alex Johnston (Papua New Guinea): The South Sydney Rabbitohs star is coming off the back of a prolific season in the NRL where he scored 30 tries, 10 more than his nearest rival. Joseph Manu (New Zealand): Immensely powerful with silky ball-handling skills, Manu produced a man-of-the-match performance at full-back against Tonga in June and will be New Zealand's first-choice number one in the World Cup. Mitchell Moses (Lebanon): A naturally talented goalkicking half-back, Moses has played a key role in the resurgence of Parramatta Eels, culminating in their appearance in the 2022 NRL Grand Final. Viliame Kikau (Fiji): The second-rower, who helped Penrith retain their title before his move to Canterbury Bulldogs, combines power with his offloading ability to leave defences second-guessing themselves. David Fifita (Tonga): On his day, Fifita is unstoppable on the edges and could be the star of the World Cup. He will help form a formidable pack after switching his allegiance from Australia to Tonga. Arthur Mourgue (France): The Catalans Dragons youngster may have limited opportunities to impress in a group with England and Samoa but he has an X factor France will need in the absence of Theo Fages. Luke Keary (Ireland): The Sydney Roosters half-back is a three-time NRL champion, winning the Clive Churchill Medal as the man of the match in 2018. He could be just the man to guide Ireland to the quarter-finals. Jarome Luai (Samoa): The Penrith Panthers half-back, who turned down Australia to play for Samoa, has become one of the biggest stars in the NRL and is fresh from another Grand Final win. Nathan Cleary (Australia): The 24-year-old - Luai's half-back partner at Penrith - is the kind of playmaker that has the ball on a string and could have a similar impact to Johnathan Thurston in Australia colours.