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http://www.rlwc2017.com/news/winning-starts-monday-melbourne-storms-nrl-dominance-set-flow-world-cup
Melbourne, who continued their Chelsea-like dominance of the NRL this year by beating Sydney Roosters last Saturday night to secure the minor premiership with three premiership rounds remaining, are favourites to win the grand final on October 1.
With the Australian team to be named the following day, a Storm premiership could earn the club up to eight places in the 24-man Kangaroos squad and a host of other players selection for rival countries.
Penrith are likely to have the next biggest representation at the World Cup, with up to 17 players in contention for seven nations, followed by Brisbane, Canterbury and the New Zealand Warriors, who may each have 15 players involved.
Up to 210 NRL players could feature for the 14 nations in the World Cup, which begins in Melbourne on October 27 and concludes with the final in Brisbane on December 2.
A full list of the players appears at the bottom of this article.
The Storm boast Australian captain Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Will Chambers, and they could be joined by team-mates Cameron Munster, Jordan McLean, Dale Finucane and Tim Glasby for the opening match against England in Melbourne.
Prop Jesse Bromwich has been dumped as the New Zealand skipper after cocaine allegations following May’s ANZAC Test in Canberra but his brother Kenneath and backrower Tohu Harros are now established Kiwi internationals.
Rookie prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona and hooker Brandon Smith were chosen in the extended New Zealand squad for the ANZAC Test but did not play, while star winger Suliasi Vunivalu played for Fiji in the Pacific Test against Tonga, whose forward pack included Felise Kaufusi.
Tui Kamikamica was also in the Fiji team and the Storm has since signed former Bati star Sisa Waqa, while Papua New Guinea’s Justin Olam is close to an NRL debut and Jahrome Hughes (Wales) deputised for Slater during the State of Origin period.
Finals form is expected to have a bearing on selection for many of the 14 countries competing at the World Cup and Panthers players are giving themselves the best chance to push their claims by winning their last six matches.
Penrith’s 24-16 defeat of North Queensland enabled the Panthers to leapfrog Manly and the Cowboys into sixth spot and wins in their remaining three games against the Raiders, Dragons and Sea Eagles could secure them a top four berth.
The Panthers are expected to have winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak in the New Zealand team and Peter Wallace in the Scotland side, while winger Josh Mansour will play for Lebanon if not selected by Australia.
Waqa Blake, Campbell Regan-Gillard and Viliame Kikau are likely to be selected by Fiji, while Leilani Latu should recover from a broken jaw before the World Cup to head a delegation of Tonga players from Penrith.
The NRL club with players spread across the greatest number of World Cup teams could be St George Illawarra, who have 14 players in contention for nine countries - Australia, England, Fiji, Italy, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Scotland and Tonga.
Cronulla have 14 players eligible for eight countries, including the United States.
Brisbane Broncos (15)
Adam Blair (NZ), Darius Boyd (Australia), Herman Ese'ese (Samoa), Matt Gillett (Australia), Alex Glenn (NZ), Jordan Kahu (NZ), Josh McGuire (Samoa/Australia), David Mead (PNG), Anthony Milford (Samoa/Australia), Tautau Moga (Samoa), Kodi Nikorima (NZ), Joe Ofahengaue (Tonga), Tevita Pangai Junior (Tonga), Korbin Sims (Fiji), Sam Thaiday (Australia).
Canberra Raiders (11)
Kurt Baptiste (PNG), Shannon Boyd (Australia), Masivesi Dakuwaqa (Fiji), Josh Hodgson (England), Joey Leilua (Samoa), Josh Papalii (Australia), Junior Paulo (Samoa), Jordan Rapana (NZ), Joseph Tapine (NZ), Kato Otio (PNG), Elliott Whitehead (England).
Canterbury Bulldogs (15)
Brad Abbey (NZ), Greg Eastwood (NZ), James Graham (England), Asipeli Fine (Tonga), Danny Fualalo (Tonga), Rod Griffin (PNG), Will Hopoate (Tonga), Josh Jackson (Australia), Sam Kasiano (Samoa), David Klemmer (Australia), Brenko Lee (Tonga), Michael Lichaa (Lebanon), Rhyse Martin (PNG), Marcelo Montoya (Fiji), Tyrone Phillips (Fiji).
Cronulla Sharks (14)
Gerard Beale (NZ), Jack Bird (Australia), Fa’amanu Brown (Samoa), Jason Bukuya (Fiji), Sosaia Feki (Tonga/NZ), Andrew Fifita (Australia), Wade Graham (Australia), Chris Heighington (England), Valentine Holmes (Australia), Ricky Luetele (Samoa), James Maloney (Australia), Joseph Paulo (USA), James Segayaro (PNG), Sam Tagitase (Samoa).
Gold Coast Titans (11)
Joe Greenwood (England), Jarryd Hayne (Fiji), Konrad Hurrell (Tonga), Ben Nakubuwai (Fiji), Agnatius Paasi (Tonga), Nathan Peats (Australia), Eddy Pettybourne (USA), Pat Politoni (Tonga), Leivaha Pulu (Tonga), Dan Sarginson (England), Jarrod Wallace (Australia)
Manly Sea Eagles (9)
Lewis Brown (NZ), Addin Fonua-Blake (Tonga), Apisai Koroisau (Fiji), Jorge Taufua (Tonga), Martin Taupua (NZ), Jake Trbojevic (Australia), Tom Trbojevic (Australia), Akuila Uate (Fiji), Matthew Wright (Samoa).
Melbourne Storm (18)
Nelson Asofa-Solomona (NZ/Samoa), Kenneath Bromwich (NZ), Will Chambers (Australia), Cooper Cronk (Australia), Dale Finucane (Australia), Tim Glasby (Australia), Tohu Harris (NZ), Jahrome Hughes (Wales), Tui Kamikamica (Fiji), Felise Kaufusi (Tonga), Jordan McLean (Australia), Cameron Munster (Australia), Justin Olam (PNG), Billy Slater (Australia), Brandon Smith (NZ), Cameron Smith (Australia), Suliasi Vunivalu (Fiji), Sisa Waqa (Fiji).
Newcastle Knights (10)
Dane Gagai (Australia), Danny Levi (NZ), Chanel Mata’utia (Samoa), Pat Mata’utia (Samoa), Peter Mata’utia (Samoa), Sione Mata’utia (Samoa), John Ralph (Wales), Daniel Saifiti (Fiji), Jacob Saifiti (Fiji), Joe Wardle (Scotland)
North Queensland Cowboys (11)
John Asiata (Samoa), Gavin Cooper (Australia), Lachlan Coote (Scotland), Coen Hess (Australia), Kane Linnett (Scotland), Te Maire Martin (NZ), Michael Morgan (Australia), Jason Taumalolu (NZ), Ray Thompson (PNG), Antonio WInterstein (Samoa).
Parramatta Eels (13)
Kirisome Auva’a (Samoa), Nathan Brown (Italy), George Jennings (Tonga), Michael Jennings (Tonga), Tim Mannah (Lebanon), Suaia Mataga (Samoa), Manu Ma’u (Tonga), Mitchell Moses (Lebanon), Frank Pritchard (Samoa) Kaysa Pritchard (Samoa), Semi Radradra (Fiji), Peni Terepo (Tonga), Siosaia Vave (Tonga)
Penrith Panthers (17)
Caleb Aekins (Wales), Sitaleki Akauola (Tonga), Waqa Blake (Fiji), Daniel Brown (Wales), James Fisher-Harris (NZ), Campbell Regan-Gillard (Fiji/Australia), Sione Kato (Tonga), Viliame Kikau (Fiji), Leilani Latu (Tonga), Josh Mansour (Lebanon/Australia), Trent Merrin (Australia), Matt Moylan (Australia), Lachlan Stein (Scotland), Sione Vea (Tonga), Peter Wallace (Scotland), Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (NZ), Dean Whare (NZ).
South Sydney Rabbitohs (10)
George Burgess (England), Sam Burgess (England), Thomas Burgess (England), Robbie Farah (Lebanon), Campbell Graham (Scotland), Bryson Goodwin (NZ), Robert Jennings (Tonga), Alex Johnson (PNG), Sitiveni Moceidreke (Fiji), John Sutton (Fiji).
St George Illawarra Dragons (14)
Leeson Ah Mau (Samoa), Euana Aitken (Scotland), Josh Dugan (Australia), Tyson Frizell (Australia), Siliva Havili (Tonga), Tim Lafai (Samoa), Nene McDonald (PNG), Taane Milne (Fiji), Jason Nightingale (NZ), Russell Packer (NZ), Hame Sele (Tonga), Tariq Sims (Fiji), Paul Vaughan (Italy), Gareth Widdop (England).
Roosters (14)
Boyd Cordner (Australia), Kane Evans (Fiji), Blake Ferguson (Australia), Jake Friend (Australia), Aidan Guerra (Italy), Isaac Liu (Samoa), Joseph Manu (Samoa/NZ), Latrell Mitchell (Australia), Dylan Napa (Australia), Brendan Santi (Italy), Sio Siua Taukeiaho (Tonga), Daniel Tupou (Tonga), Jared Warea-Hargreaves (NZ), Eloni Vunakece (Fiji).
Warriors (16)
Bunty Afoa (Samoa), Bureta Fairamo (USA), Kieran Foran (NZ), David Fusitu’a (NZ), James Gavet (Samoa), Ata Hingano (Tonga), Shaun Johnson (NZ), Solomone Kata (Tonga), Issac Luke (NZ), Simon Mannering (NZ), Ben Matulino (Samoa), Ken Maumalo (Samoa), Nathaniel Roache (Samoa/NZ), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (NZ), Albert Vete (Tonga)
Wests Tigers (12)
Josh Aloiai (Samoa), James Bell (Scotland), Tuimoala Lolohea (Tonga/NZ), Matt McIlwrick (NZ), Kevin Naiqama (Fiji), David Nofoaluma (Samoa), Moses Suli (Tonga), Sauaso Sue (Samoa), Elijah Taylor (NZ), James Tedesco (Italy/Australia), Alex Twal (Lebanon), Malakai Watene-Zelezniak (Tonga), Aaron Woods (Australia).
By Brad Walter | @BradWalterSport
Chief Correspondent, RLWC2017
