Malta Name Squad To Take On French

[Athlete]

[font=Verdana,Arial]First ever squad for Maltese soil[/font]
Sat Jul 02, 12:13pm (NSW)
Written by: Anthony Micallef(English) & Andrew Zammit Manduca(Maltese)
Malta head coach Joe Grima has named a 17-man squad for the historic first ever rugby league fixture on Maltese soil when the Malta Knights challenge France Espoirs in Malta on October 22.

Malta’s squad boasts an array of youth and experience and Grima echoes the player’s feelings in that he can’t wait for the historic fixture.

“excitement…I can’t wait and neither can the players” Grima says.

Boasting five current Premier League players and a range of the best up & coming and A Grade players, Malta will be skippered by ex NRL player and former Cronulla Sharks’ Ben Sammut.

Named in the touring squad are 4 debutants; all of Premier League level and namely, Balmain Tigers’ Luke Branighan, Newcastle Knights’ Daniel Spiteri, Sydney City Roosters’ Shane Shackelton and North Sydney Bears’ Pat Galea.

Malta could well call on Maltese based locals to fill necessary spots come October.

“I have not crossed that out, we have a squad of seventeen players. Anything can happen and if needed, I will call on the MRFU and provide the opportunity to the local Maltese to experience rugby league at a level brand new to them” explained Grima.

France will prove a strong opponent for Malta and as the Espoirs’ latest results show, they are fast re-emerging as a force on the international rugby league scene, to which Malta coach Grima is well aware.

“the French are not going to be an easy opponent”

“this group will be the upcoming ‘cream of the crop’ players”

In their latest showings, France Espoirs defeated Morocco 46-6 and Serbia 18-4 before going down to Lebanon 42-14 in the 2004 Mediterranean Cup final.

Malta will prepare with a match against Greece in Sydney 14 days earlier.

The squad is:

MALTA

Steven Azzopardi-Parramatta A Grade-Seven Hills Demons
Ryan Borg-Premier League-Western Suburbs Magpies
Luke Branighan-Premier League-Balmain Tigers
Bradley Clews-Penrith A Grade-Blacktown City
Matt Dux-Penrith A Grade-Blacktown City
Pat Galea-Premier League-North Sydney Bears
Steven Galea-Parramatta A Grade-Wentworthville Magpies
Willie Grech-Jim Beam Cup-Sydney Bulls
Paul Harris-Group 6 A Grade-Narellan Jets
Johnny Micallef-Penrith A Grade-Doonside Kangaroos
Simon Micallef-Jersey Flegg-Parramatta Eels
Brendan Russell-Mackay A Grade-Brothers
Ben Sammut ©-Wollongong A Grade-University
Shane Shackelton-Premier League-Sydney City Roosters
Daniel Spiteri-Premier League-Newcastle Knights
Rohan Spiteri-International-Malta Rugby
Anthony Xuereb-Penrith A Grade-St Clair Comets

www.malteserugbyleague.com

L-EWWEL SQUADRA LI QATT KELLNA JILGHABU HAWN MALTA (Maltese)
Is-Sibt It-2 ta Lulju 2005

Il-Kowc ewlieni tat-tim Malti Joe Grima semma skwadra ta’ 17 il-plajer ghal-ewwel loghba storika tieghu tar-rugby league f’Malta meta l-Malta Knights ha jilghabu kontra France Espoirs f’Malta fit-22 ta’ October.

L-iskwadra ta’ Malta jiftahru biz-zaghar u l-esperjenza li ghandhom u Grima juri kif qedin ihssuhom il-plejers li ma jistghux jistennew ghal-din il-loghba storika li ha jilghabu.

“Ecitament…Ma nistax nistenna lanqas il-plejers” qal Grima.

Jiftahru b’5 plejers li jilghabu fil-premier league bhalissa kif ukoll uhud mil-ahhjar u plejers ta’ grad A, it-tim Malti ha jkun immexxi mil-ex NRL plejer u ex player tal-Cronulla Sharks Ben Sammut.

Imsemijjin fl-iskwadra huma 4 debuttanti; kolla l-ivell tal- Premier League level u l-iktar, plejer tal-Balmain Tigers Luke Branighan, plejer tan-Newcastle Knights Daniel Spiteri, plejer tas-Sydney City Roosters Shane Shackelton u player tan-North Sydney Bears Pat Galea.

Malta jistghu isjhu ukoll aktar plejers Malti jekk hemm nbzonn f’Ottubru.

“Ghadni ma nehhejtiex min mohhiu, Ghandna skwadra ta’ sbatax il-plejer.Kollox jista jigri u jekk hemm bzonn, incempell lill MRFU u nipprovdi l-opportunita lil Maltin biex jesperjenzaw ir-rugby leaguef’livell gdid ghalihom” spjega Grima.

Franza tider tim b’sahhita ghal-Malta u kif turina l-ahhar rizulta ta’ l-Espoirs turina, li huma qed jistabbillixxu ruhom malajr bhala forza fix-xena tar-rugby league internazjonali, li il-kowc Malti Grima jaf sew fuqa.

“Il-Francizi mhumiex ha jkunu avversarji facli”

“Dan il-grupp ha jkun l-ahjar plajers li hemm”

L-ahhar darba li dehru, Franza Espoirs rebhu lil Morocco 46-6 u lis-Serbia 18-4 qabel ma nizzlu lil-Lebanon 42-14 fil-finali tat-Tazza Mediterranea ta’ l-2004.

Malta ha jippreparaw ghal-loghba li hemm fit-22 ta’ Ottubru meta ha jilghabu kontra l-Grecja f’Sydney 14 il-jum qabel.

L-Iskwadra hija:

MALTA

Steven Azzopardi-Parramatta A Grade-Seven Hills Demons
Ryan Borg-Premier League-Western Suburbs Magpies
Luke Branighan-Premier League-Balmain Tigers
Bradley Clews-Penrith A Grade-Blacktown City
Matt Dux-Penrith A Grade-Blacktown City
Pat Galea-Premier League-North Sydney Bears
Steven Galea-Parramatta A Grade-Wentworthville Magpies
Willie Grech-Jim Beam Cup-Sydney Bulls
Paul Harris-Group 6 A Grade-Narellan Jets
Johnny Micallef-Penrith A Grade-Doonside Kangaroos
Simon Micallef-Jersey Flegg-Parramatta Eels
Brendan Russell-Mackay A Grade-Brothers
Ben Sammut ©-Wollongong A Grade-University
Shane Shackelton-Premier League-Sydney City Roosters
Daniel Spiteri-Premier League-Newcastle Knights
Rohan Spiteri-International-Malta Rugby
Anthony Xuereb-Penrith A Grade-St Clair Comets

www.malteserugbyleague.com

 

[Big Mick]

Branighan?
lmao

 

[thommo4pm]

Good luck to you people at the MRLA.

I hope this is the start of something wonderful for the great game in Malta. Lebanon started in a similar way if I am not mistaken.

I really do hope this is the start of bigger and better things for you guys. All the very best and keep us all informed of the progress.

 

[roopy]

Spiteri is a legend.
He is everyone's favourite premier League player in Newcastle - and holds the record for most tries scored in the Newcastle RL comp in a season - and that was his first season of League.

 

[MRLA]

Branighan?
lmao

Maltese, he is.

 

[MRLA]

Spiteri is a legend.
He is everyone's favourite premier League player in Newcastle - and holds the record for most tries scored in the Newcastle RL comp in a season - and that was his first season of League.

Definately an excitement machine.
Bagged 7 tries in 6 Sevens' fixtures back in January.

 

[girvie]

I'm happy that Pat Galea has been selected. He has played well the last few weeks and is a hard worker at prop.

 

[MRLA]

Shane Shackelton-Premier League-Sydney City Roosters
http://www.malteserugbyleague.com

Received his call up to first grade last night. Well done!

 

[jvujosevic]

I know that Rohan Spiteri played fly half on rugby union match against Serbian rugby union. He is very good player.

 

[MrCharisma]

No Magro in the squad... I think the board needs to wake up and smell the talent

 

[tigaboimitch]

shane magro is a decent player and will be good. maybe he has school to worry about? what yr is he in?

 

[bender]

Looking at the Malta side, they are capable of surprising the French if the French dont take them seriously.

 

[EWS]

Spiteri is a legend.
He is everyone's favourite premier League player in Newcastle - and holds the record for most tries scored in the Newcastle RL comp in a season - and that was his first season of League.

He is very qiuck out of dummy half also and can make something out of nothing.

Im suprised he didn't get a run in First Grade this year, considering the Knights injury woes.

 

[tigaboimitch]

there was some thing where some bloke ranked all the international sides, i thaught then that malta were pretty low, they are improving and it wont be long until a few players get FG expierence and can improve the side.

 

[aussies1st]

No Gafa (First Grader)? Send the Malta coach down to Canberra. :d