Giants’ Fergie is new captain for the Bravehearts
SCOTLAND have appointed Huddersfield Giants forward Dale Ferguson as their new captain.
Ferguson, who has won 17 caps and played in the last two World Cups for the Bravehearts, takes over from his John Smith’s Stadium teammate Danny Brough, although he will miss the European Championships through injury.
“It’ll be a huge honour to captain my country,” said Ferguson.
“I made my debut in 2010 against Wales and I’m looking forward to leading Scotland in the next World Cup cycle.
“We are looking to secure qualification this year through the European Championships, and I’m absolutely gutted to be missing this year’s campaign but I have every faith in the lads.”
In Ferguson’s absence, joint coaches Chris Chester and John Duffy will turn to former Widnes prop Ben Kavanagh for the matches against France, Wales and Ireland.
Kavanagh, who will make the move from Hull KR to Halifax for 2019, has been an ever-present since making his international debut in 2013 and is poised to become Scotland’s third most-capped player.
And Duffy believes Ferguson is the right man for the job long-term.
“Fergie is a highly committed and talented player,” he said.
“Since his debut, he has consistently shown what it means to him and his family for him to pull on the Bravehearts’ shirt.”
Scotland open their campaign for the European Championship, which doubles as qualification for the 2021 World Cup, against Ireland in Santry on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Giants’ Kruis Leeming joins seven players from the Super League Grand Final in the England Knights team to play Papua New Guinea in the first of two internationals in Lae on Saturday.
Winger Tom Davies and hooker Sam Powell, who were in the victorious Wigan team at Old Trafford, will be team-mates with Jack Hughes, Toby King, Tom Lineham, Dec Patton and Joe Philbin from runners-up Warrington.
Having played in every Super League game for the Giants in 2017, hooker Leeming, who was born in Swaziland, struggled to tie down a regular place in the Giants side last season, facing stiff competition from Adam O’Brien and Ryan Hinchcliffe.
But he sees the Knights, who are coached by former Giants boss Paul Anderson, as a great stepping stone.
“The Knights is good because it gives you a shop window,” Leeming told loverugbylegue.com. “We are playing in front of a lot of people. There’ll be loads of coaches and players watching on and I want to put myself in the shop window for the senior team. We all want to be selling ourselves by playing to the best of our ability.”
The Kumuls will be without halfback Lachlan Lam, who has been ordered to report back to Sydney Roosters for pre-season training, while former Leeds hooker James Segeyaro is unavailable for Saturday’s game, but will join the squad next week in preparation for game two in Port Moresby on November 3.
PNG coach Michael Marum has called up Featherstone’s new signing Ase Boas in place of Lam. ■■England Knights: N Evalds (Salford); T Davies (Wigan), T King (Warrington), L Sutcliffe (Leeds), T Lineham (Warrington); C Atkin (Hull KR), D Patton (Warrington); R Mulhern (Hull KR), S Powell (Wigan), M Lees (St Helens), O Holmes (Castleford), J Hughes (Warrington, capt), D Hadley (Hull). Subs: K Leeming (Huddersfield), J Philbin (Warrington), J Batchelor (Wakefield), B Fash (Hull).