Wales international and Welsh-qualified superstar make history in front of 80,000

The NRL is one of the world’s biggest sporting competitions and tomorrow two Welsh-qualified players will take centre stage in its grand final for the first time.

Bradman Best, the Newcastle Knights’ centre, and prop Tyson Frizell will both start against the Sydney Roosters in the showpiece in Sydney.

Newcastle Knights finished bottom of the table this season but have made a remarkable turnaround to reach the grand-final after a sensational preliminary finals match victory over Penrith Panthers last weekend.

Both Best and Frizell have been very influential in their rise to a first grand final since 2001.

Best is an Australia international and a phenomenally explosive centre who is extremely physical and has an excellent offloading game.

Despite hailing from Australia, Best was asked to play rugby league for Wales, qualifying through heritage, but it never materialised.

"Yeah, it was real close," said Best in 2024 about his flirtation with the Wales team.

"I agreed and everything was ready to go. But I didn't play my best for the Knights so I owed it to them to have a good pre-season so that's why I didn't get over to pull on the red jersey."

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Best, whose Newcastle Knights contract expires at the end of the season, says he will look at the market.

He was been linked with a host of big NRL clubs but should be a player the Welsh Rugby Union look at in the future, although it is very difficult to envisage someone of his stature leaving the NRL for Wales anytime soon.

The 34-year-old Frizell has already represented Wales, as well as Australia and Tonga in rugby league and was at one time heavily linked with a move to represent Wales in rugby union.

His brother, Shannon, is the All Blacks backrower. After 305 games in the NRL this will be Frizell's first NRL grand final.

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