IRELAND’S TEDESCO

Q Not many people here know much about Irish players. Who should we be excited about? A I think probably Scott Grix. He’s one of the most capped players in the side and he’s certainly one of the ones to watch. He’s the James Tedesco of the Irish side. The Italians have got Tedesco, their big name, and I guess Grix (pictured right at the 2008 World Cup) is ours. Obviously he’s a fullback with speed but also ball-playing ability, very experienced and our vice-captain. Kyle Amor, there’s big wraps on him, Anthony Mullaly played the last World Cup and just came off the Leeds grand final, so he’s another one. Q I guess the thing is people aren’t talking about you too much. Is making it out of the group stage realistic? A Definitely. That’s the aim, that’s why we’re here and we truly be- lieve there’s every opportunity to do that. We’ve got a big job next weekend against a star-studded Italian side but if we get our preparation right, and it’s the old cliche, you turn up on game day. Q What do you think of the eligibility rules being relaxed for the World Cup? Is it good for the game? A We’ve got to do it as a game. We’ve got to have our best players be able to go out to these tier 2 sides. I know there’s a bit of controversy around some other sides, but I think it’s wonderful. Hopefully it really grows the profile more in those smaller nations. All rugby league players and coaches or fans, we want to see the game grow and you look at how big the football World Cup is – and I know it’s a long way off – but it would be fantastic to see something like that.