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.
Australia
Jeremiah Nanai
Where better to start than the 2022 NRL Rookie of the Year, riding high after a magnificent season both individually and for his club?
It's no secret how important Nanai ended up being to the Cowboys' premiership chances in 2022. With an ability to break the line at any time and some phenomenal talent under the high ball, Nanai has also worked hard on the defensive lapses that drew criticism during the middle of the year. Though the team is stacked with back-row options, look for Nanai to make the most of his opportunities and remind us all of the explosive talent he has.
Campbell Graham
We all know by now how close Graham was to representing the Bravehearts after assuming he wouldn't be selected for Australia – but he'll be wearing green and gold after catching Meninga's eye despite being in talks with the Scots for nearly a year. Though he might not be selected for every game, he's one to keep an eye on when he gets his shot.
Graham earns his cap as the only member of the squad who hasn't had State of Origin exposure, but there's little doubt he'll be up to the task when called upon after another strong season for the Rabbitohs. In 20 games he only scored five tries – playing on the opposite side to the Rabbitohs preferred left edge, but he's a proven tackle breaker who isn't afraid to take the hard runs out of the middle, averaging 143 metres per game in 2022.
Ben Hunt
After coming so close to the Dally M medal in a remarkable individual season, Hunt will be happy to have his contract issues sorted and escape the constant scrutiny of the NRL season.
Likely to play in the No.9 jersey – which he confirmed he has no desire to do for the Red V – Hunt has already talked about the enjoyment he gets from playing dummy-half at rep level. That was abundantly clear with his excellent efforts during this year's Origin series, in which he scored the match-winning try in the decider, taking a chip kick off the boot of Nathan Cleary and running 80-metres in an iconic effort. Though he was clearly burdened by having to carry his club team at points throughout the season, expect Hunt to remind us of just how good he is during the tournament.
