USA’s Dream 13: Assembling the Ultimate American Rugby League Lineup
In the lead-up to the upcoming rugby league events, we’re profiling the ideal starting 13 for each nation, exploring the best players eligible to don the colors of their respective countries. With the recent announcement that Super League will be expanding to Las Vegas in 2025, we felt it only fitting to showcase the USA’s dream side.
Versatile back Ryan Burroughs, who has represented the USA on 10 occasions, including the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, headlines the lineup. Joining him in the backline are Cronulla Sharks’ Ronaldo Mulitalo, whose Samoan heritage also includes American Samoa roots, and Bradford Bulls’ Max Lehmann, a dynamic outside back born in the United States but raised in Australia.
The center pairing features North American Rugby League standout Kyle Granby, known for his try-scoring prowess, and Doncaster’s Bureta Faraimo, a seasoned winger with 11 USA caps. In the halves, South Sydney Rabbitohs prodigies Zac Makelim and Dion Teaupa, both with American bloodlines, orchestrate the attack.
The forward pack is anchored by Cronulla’s Royce Hunt, a powerful prop with Samoan, Māori, and American heritage, alongside Dolphins hooker Harrison Graham, a young talent from Queensland with American roots. Rounding out the pack are Bradford Bulls’ Franklin Pele, a rugged front-rower with Samoan and American ancestry, Wakefield Trinity’s Luke Bain, a versatile forward born in New Hampshire, and Salford Red Devils’ Shane Wright and Wigan Warriors’ Tyler Dupree, both boasting American heritage.
“This well-balanced American dream team, compiled in collaboration with He Can Play For on X, showcases the depth of rugby league talent emerging from the United States and its territories, primed to leave its mark on the international stage.”
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