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<\/p>\nWhile the World Cup pits rugby league\u2019s best Test teams against each other \u2014 it also serves another purpose.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s tournament is set to give a host of rising stars a chance to put their name up in lights, especially with the likes of the Perth Bears and PNG Chiefs being on the lookout for the next big thing in rugby league.<\/p>\n
While a host of big-name stars fans are already familiar with are set to take the field for their country, who are the players who could enjoy a breakout campaign?<\/p>\n
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Here, foxsports.com.au takes a look at the players who could emerge as future stars in the 2026 World Cup!<\/p>\n
JUNIOR NSEMBA<\/p>\n
Anyone know watches the Super League knows how good Junior Nsemba is, and could be. But the 22-year-old back rower is somewhat of an unknown commodity in Australia, having been earmarked for big things from a young age. On an edge for Wigan Warriors, Nsemba has been hard to handle, scoring four tries across his 24 Super League games this season. He has previously made his Test debut, featuring once in England\u2019s 2024 series against Samoa and he also scored in the Warriors\u2019 2026 Challenge Cup Final victory over Hull KR earlier this year. After enjoying a breakout campaign in England in 2023, Wigan bosses handed him a mammoth six-year contract a year later after their rising star was named in the 2024 Dream Team. Nsemba is currently signed on until at least the end of 2030 but made a curious admission when his fresh contract was signed. \u201cAt the end of the contract I\u2019ll only be 25 or 26 so I could have a decision to make,\u201d he said, hinting a move to the NRL could be on the cards. NRL clubs will undoubtedly be eagerly watching Nsemba as he attempts to lock down a spot in the back row for his country.<\/p>\n
Wigan Warriors’ Junior Nsemba.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n
LOUIS GROSSEMY<\/p>\n
Louis Grossemy made a big decision earlier this year, departing the Bulldogs to join Tolouse Olympique in the Super League until the end of the 2027 season. His side finished eighth, with the 23-year-old playing seven NSW Cup games in the back row for Canterbury before departing. Through his French father, Grossemy made his France debut last year and he now looks likely to feature in the back row during the 2026 World Cup. He has previously been apart of both the Rabbitohs and Roosters junior systems. While Grossemy started his time at Tolouse on the bench, he ended the season as a starter and his athleticism was on full display during his short stint. With only a little more than a year remaining on his contract, Grossemy will undoubtedly be looking to3 lock down his future and a strong World Cup campaign could put him in the shop front for an NRL return, potentially on a development deal for a club hopeful of bolstering their edge forward stocks.<\/p>\n
Holbrook signs extension with Knights | 00:33<\/p>\n
ALEX CONTI<\/p>\n
There\u2019s huge wraps on Alex Conti from those within the Bulldogs, and also from experts within the game. The 20-year-old enjoyed a hugely impressive NSW Cup campaign this season, playing 17 games and scoring 10 tries. Conti is on Canterbury\u2019s development list in 2027 and he was named by Phil Gould as a player that could make his NRL debut next season, with the Dogs\u2019 halves situation sitting in a peculiar position. While Stephen Crichton slotted into five-eighth to close out the year, Cameron Ciraldo could look for a more traditional halves pairing at some point in 2027, with Conti and Mitchell Woods well and truly in the running to partner Lachlan Galvin. With Woods sitting out for much of the season due to lingering injury issues, Conti was the man to make his mark. He will also get a huge chance to put his best foot forward during the World Cup, with the rising star set to be handed Lebanon\u2019s No.7 jersey in the absence of Mitchell Moses \u2014 and Bulldogs fans should watch on eagerly to see a player who looks to be a part of the club\u2019s long-term plans.<\/p>\n
Alex Conti.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n
MICHAEL GABRAEL<\/p>\n
Michael Gabrael has already made his NRL debut, being handed a first grade appearance in the Sharks\u2019 Round 27 loss to the Storm. The 21-year-old will take the field for Lebanon with big wraps in club land, having joined Cronulla in 2023 before winning the under 19s Origin series with the Blues a year later. Across his NSW Cup career, the speedy centre has scored 27 tries in 33 games and is earmarked to play a much larger role under Craig Fitzgibbon next season. Jesse Ramien and Sione Katoa have departed for the Cowboys, while Siosifa Talakai and Mawene Hiroti have joined the Bears, leaving a gaping hole in the Sharks outside back stocks. Gabrael is set to be one player to step up and essentially has an audition to become a regular first grader when his nation face PNG, Tonga and France in their bid to get out of the WC group stage. It\u2019s also important to note, Cronulla officials quickly locked their rising star\u2019s services in before November 1, handing him a fresh contract until the end of the 2029 season.<\/p>\n
Perth Bears CEO steps down | 00:34<\/p>\n
GAIRO VORO<\/p>\n
Gairo Voro is one of Papua New Guinea\u2019s best emerging talents and the 23-year-old has already had the chance to showcase his skills at the top level. He was snapped up by the London Broncos in the Super League Championship, taking his explosive style of playmaking abroad where he broke a club record by scoring seven tries against Hunslet. Voro also won Championship player of the year and he\u2019s set to start in the halves for PNG. While he possesses a similar in the No.6 to that of Jarome Luai, his flowing ponytail that sticks out the back of his head gear means he also has a striking resemblance to the Chiefs recruit. Interestingly, that pair will become teammates during PNG\u2019s debut NRL season in 2028, with Voro having signed a development deal to join Willie Peters\u2019 squad. Peters will be watching closely during PNG\u2019s World Cup campaign and will be hopeful Voro, among others, can continue to improve before their NRL entry.<\/p>\n
Gairo Voro.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n
TUPOU FRANCIS<\/p>\n
Tupou Francis shapes as one of the most interesting players to take the field in this World Cup, being named in Lebanon\u2019s squad. He was eligible to play for a staggering six of the 10 nations playing in this tournament, including Tonga, New Zealand, Fiji, France and Australia alongside his current team. Francis told NRL.com that head coach Michael Cheika reached out to him earlier this year as a player he had an eye on for the World Cup and he earned selection when his squad was unveiled. The rising star is related to the Hopoate family and played 11 Queensland Cup games this year, having also featured for Queensland\u2019s Under 19s Origin side earlier this year, scoring in his team\u2019s 28-14 win. Francis has also reportedly been earmarked to make his NRL debut with the Broncos next season, potentially filling the vacant front row slot left by the departure of Payne Haas and he has a chance to put his name up in lights for Lebanon.<\/p>\n
Tedesco faces fight for No.1 jersey | 02:02<\/p>\n
SOLOMONE SAUKURU<\/p>\n
Solomone Saukuru got a chance to showcase his skills for the Tigers to close out the 2026 NRL season and it\u2019s fair to say he made a strong impression. The 21-year-old played four games, scoring four tries in the centres under Benji Marshall. His powerful ball-running was a highlight and he is set to take the field for Fiji in the outside backs alongside club teammate Sunia Turuva. The rising star will be desperate to continue his form in the World Cup and push to make the Tigers\u2019 centre spot his own next season, especially considering the arrivals of Jake Averillo who is tipped to play in the halves, but is also a centre by trade. After his NRL debut, Tigers officials also moved quickly to re-sign Saukuru and upgrade him to a top 30 contract for the next two years. While the club clearly have a high opinion of their talented outside back, a strong World Cup campaign will only help him lock down regular NRL minutes next year.<\/p>\n
Solomone Saukuru of the Tigers.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
ELIJAH KEUNG<\/p>\n
Elijah Keung is a lesser-known name on this list, but is set to be promoted to the Rabbitohs\u2019 top 30 in 2027, having earned selection in Fiji\u2019s World Cup squad. The 20-year-old has only made one NSW Cup appearance, but played a starring role in Souths\u2019 Jersey Flegg campaign, playing 21 games and scoring eight tries. That\u2019s an impressive record for a middle forward, with the talented prop also having previously played representative football for Queensland. Keung could get the best opportunity to showcase his power and strike of his career for Fiji and he will also benefit from learning from the likes of Jacob Saifiti, Caleb Navale and Kurt Donoghoe. Keung got through his first NRL pre-season in 2025, and is set to endure his third in 2027 \u2014 but this time he will be one of Bennett\u2019s top 30 players and will also have his Fiji campaign to bolster his chances of pushing for an NRL debut in 2027.<\/p>\n
Chiefs launch legal action | 00:48<\/p>\n
GLASSIE GLASSIE<\/p>\n
Glassie Glassie is the most obscure player on this list, but is a name to watch out for in years to come. The 19-year-old earned a call-up in the Cook Islands\u2019 World Cup squad, having impressed this season in the Jersey Flegg Cup for the Tigers. Tigers bosses have handed him a contract for 2027 and 2028, although it is currently unclear if he joins the club\u2019s development list or remains on a pathways deal. Glassie has previously featured for the Cook Islands\u2019 junior teams but could now be set to make his Test debut, having come through the Tigers\u2019 pathways systems with the Western Suburbs Magpies in SG Ball and Harrold Matthews Cup. The teenager is a talented outside back with a knack of finding the try line and clearly had pedigree, having made the Wallabies Under 18s squad last year. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While the World Cup pits rugby league\u2019s best Test teams against each other \u2014 it also serves another…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":925850,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":["post-925849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nrl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/925849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=925849"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/925849\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/925850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=925849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=925849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=925849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}