It's the Rugby League World Cup - a cross-cultural melting pot with teams from the Americas, Europe and the Pacific ready to do battle.
But with 16 teams in the men's competition and hundreds of names to familiarise yourself with, we've had a look at the squads to determine just who are the three players from each nation you need to be watching.
Ireland
Luke Keary
While the Wolfhounds were competitive at the last World Cup, the addition of Sydney Roosters five-eighth and Clive Churchill Medal winner Luke Keary takes them from an outside chance of securing second spot to a bona fide contender to escape the group. Despite playing two Tests for Australia, Keary has been clear on his intent to represent the Irish for a while now.
Though he didn't cross the line too many times himself in 2022, he finished second in the NRL for try assists with 22, one behind incoming Lebanon rival Mitchell Moses. He also finished fourth in line-break assists. Having spent the past two seasons as the experienced playmaker ahead of Sam Walker, expect to see Keary shine in a leadership role in the national team set-up.
Harry Rushton
There are question marks over the kind of impression Rushton could have made on the NRL had his time in Australia not been cut short by the global pandemic and he'd been given a proper opportunity to shine. Though he was highly rated when the Canberra Raiders picked him up on a three-year deal, the 21-year-old only made three NRL appearances from the bench before suffering a broken jaw that ultimately led to his release.
Despite his lack of recent exposure for scouts to work with, news of Rushton's availability was met with keen interest by a number of Super League clubs before Huddersfield secured his services. Expect to find out why with some strong showings.
Robbie Mulhern
Most teams are fielding a mix of youth and experience and the Irish are no exception, with Leigh Centurions prop Robbie Mulhern having made his national team debut all the way back in 2014 – but he also hasn't played for the Irish squad since 2015, representing England once in the interim.
He made a name for himself at Hull KR before a move to Warrington in 2021, helping the team to a finals appearance where they were ultimately undone by his old team. With 135 games of experience at the highest level, Mulhern's experience will prove vital if the Irish intend on escaping the group stages.
