Kai Pearce-Paul is urging more English players to take up the opportunity to head down under and play in the NRL.
The back-rower has impressed since leaving Wigan Warriors for Australia and he is now with his second NRL club, having joined Wests Tigers in the off-season after spending two years with Newcastle Knights.
He’s been joined down under by the likes of Morgan Knowles, Morgan Gannon and Matty Nicholson in the last year or two, but more players are on the way for 2027. George Williams has been snapped up by Dolphins, while Owen Trout has been linked with a move to Cronulla Sharks and James O’Donnell, Harry Newman and Mikolaj Oledzki have signed for Perth Bears
They won’t be the last either, with the expectation being that more Englishman will head to the NRL to ply their trade over the coming seasons, especially as the player pool becomes even more stretched with the introduction of Papua New Guinea Chiefs.
Pearce-Paul welcomes that, though, with the 25-year-old pointing out the obvious upside for the national team.
“Playing against [Australian players] and playing with them helps us become better players,” Pearce-Paul told the NRL.
“We know the talent out here, there are some great players out here in the NRL and you can definitely help the players improve by playing with them.”
Pearce-Paul will be pushing to be involved for England at the Rugby League World Cup down under this autumn and he’s likely to be joined by the likes of Victor Radley and AJ Brimson, who were born in Australia but have opted to represent their Australian heritage.
There are a handful of other Australian-born players who could follow suit, with Jackson Hastings declaring his desire to represent England recently, while Cronulla hooker Blayke Brailey has also spoken about such a possibility, despite being included in the Kangaroos touring squad for the Ashes back in October.
“On a personal level I think we should pick whoever makes the team better,” Pearce-Paul said. “At the end of the day, when I play for England I want to win and I want the best team possible.
“If that means having players who aren’t necessarily fully English, I couldn’t care less. I just want to win, wherever I go. Anyone we can add to the squad who can make a difference, I’m happy to have them.”
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