St George Illawarra Dragons coach Dean Young has confirmed three of his young guns have been included in this year's Prime Minister's XIII squad, with brothers Toby and Ryan Couchman joined by Hamish Stewart in the Australian selection.
With the Dragons missing the finals this season, the club's crop of emerging talent was always likely to feature heavily among the squads assembled for the fixture.
The trio's inclusion continues a season of individual recognition for the club's young forward pack.
The Dragons' Awards ceremony on Tuesday night saw Hamish Stewart win the Red V Members Player of the Year and the Dragons Medal, given to the club's best player for that season.
Stewart becomes the youngest recipient of the award, beating Mathew Head's selection in 2004.
Head was 22 years and 112 days old when he received the medal, whereas Stewart was 22 years and 24 days old.
The 22-year-old was also the NRL's tackles leader, making 996 tackles this season.
The Prime Minister's XIII squad is traditionally drawn from players whose clubs have missed out on the finals series.
This gives selectors first pick of talent that would otherwise have a long break at the end of the season.
Clubs out of premiership contention by September suddenly have a genuine incentive to keep their squad sharp and playing meaningful football into October.
Selectors also use the match to take a closer look at players sitting on the fringe of the Kangaroos setup, treating it as a low-risk opportunity to expose emerging talent to a representative environment ahead of the international season.
Toby Couchman has been among the most consistent performers in the Dragons' pack this season, while twin Ryan Couchman has impressed since returning from injury.
Stewart continues to build his reputation as one of the most promising young forwards to come through the club's system in recent years.
All three have been tied to the club's long-term future, and their selection adds to a growing list of representative honours for the Dragons' young forward group under Dean Young.
Last year, Australia's Prime Minister's XIII was named on the 7th of October, days after the NRL Grand Final.
The match against Papua New Guinea was played on the 12th of October, five days after the full squad was named.
The 2026 Rugby League World Cup starts on October 15, which is eleven days after the NRL Grand Final, with Australia playing New Zealand to open the campaign.
