With the best of the best on show, World Cup tournaments not only produce scintillating moments, but they unearth new stars and unlock the potential of others.
The last tournament in 2017 saw Valentine Holmes rise to - twice - score the most tries in a World Cup game, while Jason Taumalolo, already a formidable force in the field, went to another level as a leader in the game.
This year’s tournament promises to produce more outstanding performances across the teams, with heavyweights and minnows alike set to see players rise to the occasion.
Breakout stars to watch
Group A: England, France, Greece, Samoa
Bound to garner an even greater fan base after his call-up to the England squad, Victor Radley will be hoping to fire for the Old Dart. Nicknamed ‘The Inflictor’ for his aggressive style of play, Radley made the big call to turn his back on a potential future New South Wales and Australia call-up and is all in with England. NRL regulars Herbie Farnworth and Dom Young are two more fresh faces in the squad who will be keen to make an impression, while NRL fans will be interested to see Wigan’s Kai Pearce-Paul in action, with the youngster attracting plenty of interest from clubs.
Samoa also has a plethora of young stars ready to feature for the nation this tournament, headlined by Joseph Suaalii who is set to get an extended run at fullback. Although he is expected to feature for Australia in the future, having declared his intention to represent Samoa despite a strong chance of Kangaroos selection, he’ll be keen to show his wares. Fellow back Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has already shown what he can do in the representative arena, scoring a try in his State of Origin debut.
Given the off-field difficulties faced by Greece in the past to even play the game, it’s a remarkable achievement to be at the tournament. South Sydney Rabbitohs duo Lachlan Ilias (halfback) and Peter Mamouzelos (hooker) will be key performers for the Greek side and will look to add some flair to their group.
Pete the Greek Freak
As hosts of the 2025 World Cup, France will be out to defy expectations and progress from their tough group. While arguably their biggest name is an off-field ‘signing’ in Roosters coach Trent Robinson, who is the France’s director of rugby, they have picked a number of young faces in the squad who will definitely gain from the experience, including Catalans Dragons half César Rougé.
Group B: Australia, Fiji, Italy, Scotland
Australia have named 13 uncapped players for this campaign, and there’s a tonne of exciting talent in that group, including Dally M Rookie of the Year winner Jeremiah Nanai and this year’s Wally Lewis Medal recipient Pat Carrigan. All eyes will be on back-to-back premiership winning halfback Nathan Cleary, who is yet to don the green and gold.
Kangaroos Debutants - Nathan Cleary
His Panthers squad mate Sunia Turuva will be one to watch for Fiji. Having made an impression in his Test debut for the Bati earlier this year, there’s no telling what this talented fullback can do as the team look to build into the tournament. Importantly for the Bati, four players (Jowasa Drodrolagi, Pio Seci, Penioni Tagituimu and Vuate Karawalevu) who started with the Silktails have earned selection in the squad.
Another fullback to keep an eye on is Luke Polselli for Italy. Polselli, who spent time with the Melbourne Storm over the pre-season this year and took home the player of the year award for the Sunshine Coast Falcons, a side who made it through to the preliminary finals in the Hostplus Cup this year. He’ll have some familiar faces around him as well, with Jake Maizen and Daniel Atkinson from the Falcons also representing, while initial inclusion Cooper Johns has withdrawn.
A slew of injuries to some of their most experienced players has left Scotland, who already had an uphill battle in a tough group, facing an even greater challenge this World Cup. However, the team with arguably the best playing shorts in the game (if they wear their blue tartans again) won’t be short of enthusiasm and have players keen to make a good impression on the world stage. Strong forward Logan Bayliss, who is signed to the Broncos and played for Souths Logan Magpies this year, has played representative football in the past for the Queensland Under 20 side, while Mackay Cutters hooker Kyle Schneider, who helped with coaching the club’s All Abilities team this year, has also played for the New South Wales Under 18 side in the past.
Group C: New Zealand, Lebanon, Ireland, Jamaica
This tournament is Joey Manu’s time to shine. Already a superstar of the game, Manu has played plenty for the Kiwis, but this is his first World Cup. A tournament like this will provide the perfect platform for him to build into his game, especially in the fullback position, although New Zealand fans will want him firing from the first whistle.
Ireland have already unearthed someone who is set become everyone’s favourite player in Mike Ward. The Batley forward has done the sums and put his money where his mouth is, quitting his job as a maths teacher to pursue his dream of representing his country in a World Cup. That kind of passion just has to be admired.
In their first appearance at the tournament, Jamaica have a small contingent of domestic players including Chevaughn Bailey and Marvin Thompson, both from the Duhaney Park Red Sharks, who have been selected alongside more experienced UK-based players such as Ben Jones-Bishop to feature in this competition. They all got the chance to play on English soil in the warm-up matches, and when they finally get the chance to run out for the Reggae Warriors in their inaugural World Cup, it’s hoped it will inspire kids back in Jamaica to choose rugby league as their sport.
One area most emerging nations have struggled with in the past is the halves, but that is not likely to be the case for Lebanon this year. Wests Tigers star Adam Doueihi will partner with newly-appointed skipper Mitch Moses in the halves, forming a formidable combo. While Doueihi is not an unknown entity and also gained experience for the Cedars during the last World Cup, he’ll be hoping to further cement his five-eighth credentials with a strong showing for Lebanon, after a disrupted 2022 season.
Group D: Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Wales, Cook Islands
When he made his Test debut for Tonga in 2019, it was a surprise call up for Tesi Niu, stepping up to cover for Ata Hingano, who suffered a shoulder injury at training. Niu played fullback, Will Hopoate moved to the halves and Tonga defeated Great Britain, the second of their Tier 1 scalps at the time. While injury contributed to him only play 10 games in the NRL for the Broncos this past year, a fit, firing and confident Niu is a sight to see.
It seems at every World Cup, the Kumuls unearth a new star or provide one of the moments of the tournament with length-of-the-field try or big powerful hits. In Nixon Putt (pronounced 'put' like ‘Nixon will put you on your backside’, and not 'putt' like the golf term), they have a player who can do both. The Central Queensland Capras star is no stranger to the international scene, but having won the Hostplus Cup’s second rower of the year award this year, he is in the best form of his career and no doubt will be catching the eye of either NRL or Super League scouts.
With a large domestic contingent in this year's Welsh squad, there are only a few names NRL fans would be familar with, which include halfback Josh Ralph who players for Mounties, and Valleys Diehards brothers Ollie and James Olds. Interest will be on cross-coder Kyle Evans, who was a somewhat surprise call up given his relatively late move across from union, and how he goes if given an opportunity on the wing.
Cook Islands have named an array of up-and-coming forwards, including Brisbane Bronco Brendan Piakura and Warrior Pride Petterson-Robati, who is part of the squad’s leadership group. Although he is one of the younger players in the squad, Rabbitohs prop Davvy Moale, who has already had 14 impressive games for South Sydney across two seasons, will be a key man for the Kukis.
