Jamaica’s Reggae Warriors will make their Rugby League World Cup debut at the 2022 tournament in England with the aim of learning and improving, before potentially snagging a victory in the group stage.
The Jamaicans have had a truly remarkable rise to the World Cup, with the country not having a single specific rugby league field in their nation.
Only one Jamaica-eligible player is in the NRL in Newcastle Knights’ winger Dominic Young, although he has elected to represent England at the tournament.
It has left coach Romeo Monteith with a handful of Super League and Super League-experienced players to lead the squad, with the remaining players made up of those in the local Jamaican domestic competition, and playing in the lower levels of the English football system.
Still, Jamaica’s improvement as a rugby league nation has been evident after they managed to blast the United States of America into the tournament, with the USA having played at the last few World Cup tournaments as the only side in the Americas region to regularly have anything near a competitive side or local competition setup.
Jamaica have closed that gap now to make their first tournament, and while they are still many miles behind most of the teams at the tournament, they will aim to avoid a blowout scoreline against New Zealand, and attempt to surprise against Lebanon and Ireland in their Group C fixtures.
Here is how they will line up at the tournament.
Full squad
Mo Agoro (Keighley Cougars), Jordan Andrade (Unattached), Chevaughn Bailey (Duhaney Park Red Sharks), Joe Brown (Workington Town), Jy-Mel Coleman (Unattached), Joel Farrell (Sheffield Eagles), Ashton Golding (Huddersfield Giants), Bradley Ho (Keighley Cougars), Greg Johnson (Batley Bulldogs), Aaron Jones-Bishop (Cornwall RLFC), Ben Jones-Bishop (Sheffield Eagles), Michael Lawrence (Huddersfield Giants), Abevia McDonald (London Skolars), Khamisi Mckain (Duhaney Park Red Sharks), Jacob Ogden (York City Knights), Ross Peltier (Dewsbury Rams), Kieran Rush (Huddersfield Giants), Andrew Simpson (Duhaney Park Red Sharks), Marvin Thompson (Duhaney Park Red Sharks), Keenen Tomlinson (Dewsbury Rams), Renaldo Wade (Duhaney Park Red Sharks), AJ Wallace (Bradford Bulls), James Woodburn-Hall (Halifax Panthers), Alex Young (Workington Town)
Spine
The spine for Jamaica will be led by their most important player in Ashton Golding.
While he won’t captain the nation, the 26-year-old, who is contracted to the Huddersfield Giants in the English Super League, is easily the nation’s best player.
He has played 134 games across the English system in total, and four previous Tests for Jamaica, including playing a part in their qualification for the tournament. While he can also line up on the wing, he will be most valuable at the back in the number one jersey.
James Woodburn-Hall, who has spent time in the six and nine previously for Jamaica, will play as the five-eighth during the tournament after spending the 2022 season with the Halifax Panthers.
He will be joined in the halves by Huddersfield Giants young gun Kieran Rush. He was loaned out to third-division side Rochdale during the season and excelled at the lower level, but will likely make his way back into the Huddersfield system next year.
At hooker will be the currently unattached Jy-Mel Coleman, who last played for Hunslet during the 2021 third-division season, but has eight Tests for Jamaica to his name, and has also served as the goal-kicker in all the Tests he has played, kicking 25 goals.
Backs
On the wings will be a crucial figure for Jamaica in Alex Young, who is the brother of Knights’ star Dominic. Alex hasn’t risen to the same heights yet, but can play anywhere in the backline and will be one to watch.
On the other wing will be Aaron Jones-Bishop who plays for Cornwall in the UK third division and has scored three tries in five previous Tests for England. He will be joined on the same side of the field by Ben Jones-Bishop, who has risen as high as the Super League throughout his career, previously playing for the Leeds Rhinos, Salford Red Devils and Wakefield Trinity in the competition.
He can play anywhere in the backline and will be likely the first choice back up option if problems persist to Golding in the number one jersey.
At 34 years of age, he also brings almost 300 games of experience to Jamaica’s side and will be among their most important players.
Joe Brown, who plays in the outside backs for the Bradford Bulls, will likely captain the side out of the centres to round out the backline.
The back up will be led by Mo Agoro, who plays for Keighly and Jacob Ogden out of the York City Knights, while Renaldo Wade from the domestic competition is another option to play.
Greg Johnson out of the Batley Bulldogs is another option.
Forwards
In the forward pack, it will be Ross Peltier and Bradley Ho to lead the way, while one of the side’s other Super League players in Michael Lawrence out of Huddersfield will likely wear the number 13.
He can also play on the edge, but will be able to have a far greater impact should he line up at lock during the tournament for the Reggae Warriors.
Peltier and Ho both play lower level football in England for Dewsbury and Keighley respectively.
On the edge, Joel Farrell and AJ Wallace, who have both played in the second division of the English system, will take the starting roles.
Farrell is currently with the Sheffield Eagles, while Wallace plays at the Bradford Bulls.
The Jamaican forward pack, while less well-known than other nations, is excellent when it comes to versatility, with a majority of players either able to line up in the middle or on the edge, while a handful of backs can also line up in the forwards, including Mo Agoro, Joe Brown and Keenen Tomlinson.
Bench
Expect Marvin Thompson, who can play fullback, hooker or halfback, to take the utility spot on the bench. Given the extra utility value around the side, with Ashton Golding and Kieran Rush both able to play other positions, while centre Joe Brown can also move into the forward pack, his coverage will give the Reggae Warriors plenty of flexibility.
Mo Agoro, who has played in both the backs and forwards for Jamaica, will likely also take a spot on the back of his eight previous Tests for Jamaica.
The two remaining spots will go to players who can lock down the middle third, with Jordan Andrade and Chevaughn Bailey the two most likely selections.
Best 17
1. Ashton Golding
2. Aaron Jones-Bishop
3. Ben Jones-Bishop
4. Joe Brown (c)
5. Alex Young
6. James Woodburn-Hall
7. Kieran Rush
8. Ross Peltier
9. Jy-Mel Coleman
10. Bradley Ho
11. AJ Wallace
12. Joel Farrell
13. Michael Lawrence
14. Marvin Thompson
15. Mo Agoro
16. Jordan Andrade
17. Chevaughn Bailey
Key information
Group: C
Coach: Romeo Monteith
Captain: Joe Brown
Number of World Cups: Debut
Best World Cup performance: N/A
Fixtures
Monday, October 17, 3:00am: vs Ireland
Sunday, October 23, 5:30am: vs New Zealand
Sunday, October 30, 11:00pm: vs Lebanon
Source:: ZeroTackle
