Rugby league country championships: Kangaroos, NRL stars in star-studded Newcastle Rebels squad

With former NRL stars, NSW Country representatives and a Kangaroos international, one region has named an epic bushy footy rep team ahead of the country championships.

Former NRL players Blake Ferguson, Will Smith and Dylan Phythian will line up for the Newcastle Rebels in the 2024 NSW men's country rugby league championships. Picture: supplied

Rugby league fans won’t have to go too far down Newcastle’s team list to recognise some of the players who will represent the Rebels in their season-opening clash against the Central Coast in the men’s country championships this weekend.

Headlined by the likes of former Kangaroos and NSW Origin outside back Blake Ferguson, former NRL players Will Smith and Dylan Phythian and coached by ex-Gold Coast Titans mentor Garth Brennan, Newcastle boast arguably the most recognisable line-up in the competition as the Rebels look to defend their title.

There is even star power in the names of the players, with the likes of Will Smith and backrower Lewis Hamilton easily mistaken for their internationally known namesakes.

If the big names aren’t impressive enough, the squad also boasts 11 from last year’s side that demolished Riverina 49-16 in last year’s final and six from the 2023 NSW Country team that defeated City 26-20 last May.

The match-day squad also features four players from the all-conquering Maitland Pickers team, who in 2023 established themselves as the best non-professional team in the state after taking out their third straight Presidents Cup title.

The Rebels totally dominated last year’s country championships. Picture: Sue Graham

In a quite remarkable embarrassment of riches, the team could also have featured former Knights, Dragons, Castleford and Warrington outside back Peter Mata’utia and NSW Country half Sam Clune, who were both ruled out with injury.

Former Parramatta forward Peni Terepo, who played 123 games in the NRL between 2013 and 2020, is on standby in case of any late injuries.

With a very strong squad all round, Newcastle boast a particularly all-star centre combination, with Ferguson – who represented Australia nine times and NSW on seven occasions throughout his illustrious 13-year professional career – lining up alongside Will Smith, who returned home to junior club the Western Suburbs Rosellas after making 95 professional appearances in the NRL and UK Super League over the course of his decade-long career.

The team is coached by former Gold Coast Titans boss Garth Brennan. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Clune’s absence through injury will see Phythian, who played three games for Newcastle in the NRL in 2016 and 2017, come into the number seven jersey to partner skipper Chad O’Donnell in the halves.

In another luxury, the Rebels will also take the same starting forward pack – consisting of Jayden Butterfield, Luke Huth, James Taylor, Lewis Hamilton, Lincoln Smith and Ben Stone – into the game as last year’s country championships decider.

With the Newcastle competition widely regarded to be the third-best in the state behind the NRL and NSW Cup, the players will be out to try and reassert that reputation when the team takes on local rivals the Central Coast at Cessnock Sportsground on Saturday at 12pm.

Squad: 1) Cameron Anderson 2) Honeti Tuha 3) Will Smith 4) Blake Ferguson 5) Timanu Alexander 6) Chad O’Donnell (C) 7) Dylan Phythian 8) Jayden Butterfield 9) Luke Huth 10) James Taylor 11) Lewis Hamilton 12) Lincoln Smith 13) Ben Stone 14) Ryan Glanville 15) Jack Welsh 16) Liam Wiscombe 17) Nick Ritter 18) Mitch Black