St George Illawarra and Cronulla will provide a handful of the next generation of stars to the 2018 Australian Schoolboys squad.
The squad will represent Australia in England in October.
Cronulla Jersey Flegg and SG Ball representatives Bronson Xerri and Franklin Pele were selected along with Jalal Bazzaz and Jason Saab.
Xerri though has withdrawn from the squad. The talented centre has been tipped to have a bright future at the Sharks and, with the loss of senior outside backs Jesse Ramien, Edrick Lee and Ricky Leutele for 2019, Xerri will instead feature as part of Cronulla’s NRL squad pre-season training.
Xerri and Pele are also Endeavour Sports High School students.
Saab and Bazzaz played SG Ball for the St George Dragons and Illawarra Steelers respectively this season.
Xerri, Saab and Bazzaz were to be teammates in the NSW under-18s State of Origin side earlier this year only for Xerri to be called up to the under-20s alongside fellow Sharks Kyle Flanagan, Blayke Brailey, Isaac Lumelume and Teig Wilton as a late injury replacement.
Xerri, 17, also scored a hat-trick of tries for Newtown in his Intrust Super Premiership debut earlier this season.
Pele, a hard-running forward, joined the trio in the NSW Combined High Schools team who finished runner-up to NSW Combined Catholic Colleges in the National Schoolboy Championships.
The Monty Porter Memorial Sport Foundation will contribute fundraising initiatives to help Pele go on the tour.
Dragons director of rugby league pathways and list management Ian Millward said the club had earmarked Saab and Bazzaz to progress to their under-20s side next year.
2018 Australian Schoolboys squad
Max Altus – Farrer Memorial Agricultural College, Tamworth
Jalal Bazzaz – Illawarra Sports High, Berkeley
Bradman Best – Brisbane Waters Secondary College, Woy Woy
Zac Cini – St Dominic's College, Penrith
Juwan Compain – Palm Beach Currumbin State High, Gold Coast
Stephen Crichton – Patrician Brothers College, Blacktown
Harry Croker – Taree High School
Tom Dearden - Palm Beach Currumbin State High, Gold Coast
Matthew Doorey – Westfields Sports High, Fairfield West
Ryan Gray – De La Salle College – Revesby Heights
Jock Madden – All Saints College, Maitland
Luca Moretti – Waverley College
Ratu Nanovo – Cambridge Park High
Tesi Niu – Marsden State High, Logan
Franklin Pele – Endeavour Sports High, Caringbah
Jason Saab – Westfields Sports High, Fairfield West
Tommy Talau – Westfields Sports High, Fairfield West
Jayden Tanner – Patrician Brothers College, Blacktown
Beni Teaupa – Holy Cross College, Ryde
Star To'a – Newcastle High
Bronson Xerri – Endeavour Sports High, Caringbah
