England will face the Combined Nations All-Stars on Friday 25 June at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
The All Stars side – set to be led by former Australia Head Coach Tim Sheens – will be formed by non-English players currently competing in the Betfred Super League.
With that in mind, we’ve shortlisted five potential prop-forwards who could line up for the All Stars in June…
Matt Prior (Leeds Rhinos / Australia)
Matt Prior arrived at Leeds Rhinos ahead of the 2020 Betfred Super League season after 12 successful seasons in the NRL across spells with St George Illawarra Dragons and Cronulla Sharks.
Prior was an integral part of the Cronulla side which progressed to the 2014 NRL Grand Final in which they edged out Melbourne Storm 14-12. In 2018, the prop-forward was selected to represent New South Wales in the State of Origin Series.
Since signing at Emerald Headingley Stadium, Prior has made 21 appearances for the Rhinos scoring one try and helping the club win the Betfred Challenge Cup for the first time since 2015 last year.
Prior’s experience could be crucial for the Combined Nations All Stars later this month.
Tevita Satae (Hull FC / Tonga)
Tevita Satae – commonly known as ‘Chris’ – signed for Hull FC in 2019 after three years with New Zealand Warriors.
Satae made his NRL debut in 2017 for the Warriors against North Queensland Cowboys and went on to make just 15 appearances across his spell with the club.
However, appearances have been much more frequent since arriving at the KCOM Stadium. Satae has played over 30 times for the Black and Whites and recently powered over for a double in their Betfred Challenge Cup Quarter Final victory over Wigan Warriors.
Despite having yet to represent Tonga, Satae could get his first taste of international opposition when the All Stars battle England later this month.
Grant Millington (Castleford Tigers / Australia)
Grant Millington has become a household name in the Betfred Super League currently in his 10th season with Castleford Tigers.
Millington has enjoyed success with Tigers helping the club reach both the Betfred Super League and Challenge Cup Finals, however the prop-forward was on the losing side on both occasions. The 34-year-old was named in the 2017 Betfred Super League Dream Team following his performances on route to Old Trafford.
Now with almost 250 appearances for Castleford, Millington is one of the most experienced prop-forwards in the Betfred Super League. He also previously represented Cronulla Sharks and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL.
Millington is renowned for his great ball handling skills which could be a feature which persuades All Stars Head Coach Tim Sheens to select him.
Sebastine Ikahihifo (Salford Red Devils / New Zealand)
Sebastine Ikahihifo certainly made an impact on his arrival in the Betfred Super League with the Huddersfield Giants a few years ago being named in the Dream Team within just 18 months of his debut.
In total, Ikahihifo played 78 games for the Giants before joining Salford Red Devils on loan and signing permanently ahead of the 2021 season. The highlight of his spell with Salford came in October 2020 as he featured in the Betfred Challenge Cup Final albeit in defeat to Leeds Rhinos.
Born in Auckland, the 30-year-old spent four seasons with the New Zealand Warriors racking up almost 40 NRL appearances, with most of them coming in the 2014 season.
Tim Sheens could look to the powerhouse to bolster his Combined Nations All Stars pack.
Gil Dudson (Catalans Dragons / Wales)
Welsh prop-forward Gil Dudson could be in line to be selected for the Combined Nations All Stars after some impressive showings for Salford Red Devils and Catalans Dragons in recent seasons.
Dudson has made seven appearances for Catalans in 2021, scoring his first try for the club in their Betfred Challenge Cup victory over Wakefield Trinity in April. The 30-year-old spent two seasons with Salford Red Devils which saw Dudson play in the 2019 Betfred Super League Grand Final defeat to St Helens and the 2020 Betfred Challenge Cup Final loss to Leeds Rhinos.
Dudson has previously enjoyed spells with North Wales Crusaders, Wigan Warriors and Widnes Vikings and earned 15 caps for Wales on the international stage. The Cardiff-born prop-forward was part of Wales’ 2013 Rugby League World Cup squad.
Will Dudson make the All Stars side?
Get your tickets to watch England face the Combined Nations All Stars and England Women face Wales on Friday 25 June at the Halliwell Jones Stadium here.
