Parramatta Eels and NSW Blues State of Origin half Mitchell Moses will represent Lebanon at this year's Rugby League World Cup.
Moses last played international rugby league for Australia in 2024 as part of the Pacific Championships, and was viewed as a good chance of being picked in the Ashes series last year at points before missing the cut on the back of injuries during the second half of the year.
The Parramatta halfback and NSW Blues five-eighth has been no stranger to injuries this year either, but put in an excellent performance in Game 3 of the State of Origin series to help the Blues get over the line for their second series in three attempts where a decider was needed in Brisbane.
But with that all behind him, Moses, per ESPN, appeared at the Lebanon team's launch event alongside coach Michael Cheika this week, and has committed to playing for - and likely captaining - the Cedars at this year's tournament.
He told the publication he was looking forward to the squad, likely with more NRL talent than before including Manly Sea Eagles winger Jason Saab for the first time after he was cleared to play for the nation, coming together for the tournament which starts in mid-October and will be held in Australia.
"We didn't have too many first-graders in 2017, then we had a few more in the 2022 World Cup, and I guess in this next one we'll probably have a few more as well," Moses told the publication from the launch.
"It's growing and growing each year."
Moses last played for Lebanon in 2022 at the World Cup in England, and has played 8 Tests for the nation, scoring a try and kicking 23 goals.
Lebanon have had few opportunities to play against top teams since the last World Cup, instead fielding understrength teams in smaller matches, with their last clash coming in October last year against Italy.
At the 2022 World Cup, Lebanon made it through to the quarter-finals, losing to New Zealand in a competitive affair, but getting the better of Ireland and Jamaica before coming up short 48 points to 4 against Australia in the quarter-finals.
In that tournament, Moses was joined by Adam Doueihi, Jacob Kiraz and Josh Mansour as then current NRL players.
Doueihi and Kiraz are expected to back up for Lebanon, and will be joined by Saab, Alex Twal and Gold Coast Titans fringe outside back Tony Francis as other options.
This year's tournament, reduced to ten teams, will see Lebanon in the combined Group B and C, with their matches to be played against France, Papua New Guinea and Tonga, while England and Samoa are the other teams they won't play.
Only the top two of those six teams will advance to the semi-finals, where they will meet the top two teams from Group A which features Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the Cook Islands.
Lebanon kick off their tournament on October 17 against Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby, before clashing with Tonga in Parramatta on October 23, and France at the same venue on November 1.
