No Tedesco, no Vaughan and nightmare group leaves Azzurri with uphill battle

Italy have some great players. Unfortunately, some of those great players are going to be too good to play for them, while others have decided to opt out.

There’ll be no James Tedesco, of course, as he’ll almost certainly be captaining the Kangaroos and not turning out for the Azzurri, as he did at the last two World Cups.

Experienced prop Paul Vaughan has chosen not to play after a tough season with the Bulldogs and ahead of a big move to Warrington, while stalwart Daniel Alvaro will also step back from the national team.

That leaves Nathan Brown, consigned to NSW Cup by Parramatta for most of the year, as the de facto leader of this side and their most senior player.

Italy haven’t played since 2019 – certainly not with a full team of NRL and Super League talent – and struggled badly in 2017, losing badly to Ireland and Fiji and having an off-field scandal to boot, with Tedesco and prop Shannon Wakeham scrapping in a Cairns nightclub.

This year might not be much better. The Italians have a horror group, with Australia and Fiji, so their best hope is to take two points from their opener with Scotland. Wish them luck.

Certainties

If you read a few of these, you’ll know the formula: I list a lot of headline NRL talent here, then in the ‘probables’ and ‘possibles’ it gets a little more shaky, with lower graders and promising juniors added in.

Italy have this upside down. They have a strong core of state cup and English lower league talent who have turned out for coach Leo Epifania in qualifiers and other games, and who will almost certainly play again, with the NRL options less sure.

Alongside the aforementioned Nathan Brown, there’s two semi-regular NRLers who will be picked. Jack Johns will go around again – he played in 2017 – and Trent Loiero will travel too.

Souths five eighth Jack Campagnolo and Blacktown hooker Joey Tramontana will be there. Also from Blacktown is Luke Hodge, who played for Italy in 2019. Luca Moretti is often in extended benches for Parramatta’s NRL side and will play.

The Panthers provide Alec Susino from NSW Cup and Brad Fearnley from their Flegg outfit. One day I will count how many Panthers are going to be at this World Cup from the various grades, because it is a lot.

From north of the Tweed, there’s two Sunshine Coast Falcons in Daniel Atkinson and Luke Poselli – the former likely halfback depth and the latter an option at fullback and centre.

The UK-based contigent have all been playing regular footy, albeit not in the Super League.

Swinton winger Richard Lepori is their all time top tryscorer and will get a gig on one wing, with James Saltonstall of Halifax on the other.

Keighley prop Brenden Santi rarely misses a game and London Broncos backrower Ronny Palumbo is the same.

Dean Parata of Featherstone, Ryan King of Whitehaven and Anton Iaria of Barrow complete the pack and likely the bench.

Probables

Nathan Milone’s stock has fallen from Wests Tigers days, but he’s still running around in Ron Massey Cup at Wentworthville and played for Italy in 2019.

Speaking of Massey Cup: Ethan Natoli of Glebe Dirty Reds and Rhys Sciglitano of Hills Bulls have played previously.

Brock Pelligra of London Skolars has appeared in the past, but might be squeezed out by other halfback options. Mason Cerruto is captain-coach at Camden Rams and has also featured previously.

Possibles

Italy haven’t made many announcements on eligibility, so here goes nothing. Jake Clifford would be a huge in at five eighth, and could be partnered by Cooper Johns, who has never played for Italy but is eligible because, well, his brother already played so he must be, right?

If we’re talking brothers – Matt Tedesco is playing rugby union now, but has played in the past. Samuel Dolores was an Italy regular until he switched to union, where he is playing for Eastwood in the Shute Shield.

Giole Celerino, the first Italian-born player to play professionally in the UK, has been most recently in France with Palau Broncos and is always a popular figure in the squad.

Predicted Italy Squad

1 Jack Campagnolo
2 Richard Lepori
3 Luke Poselli
4 Ronny Palumbo
5 James Saltonstall
6 Jake Clifford
7 Cooper Johns
8 Alec Susino
9 Joey Tramontana
10 Brenden Santi
11 Nathan Brown
12 Jack Johns
13 Trent Loiero
14 Dean Parata
15 Anton Iaria
16 Ryan King
17 Luca Moretti
18 Luke Hodge
19 Brad Fearnley
20 Rhys Sciglitano
21 Ethan Natoli
22 Daniel Atkinson
23 Nathan Milone
24 Brock Pelligra