Dream XIII: Yorkshire team for Yorkshire Day
Seeing as though it is Yorkshire Day, we have selected a Dream XIII of players from the White Rose county.
1 Zak Hardaker
The 27-year-old is very much settled in Lancashire these days after joining Wigan ahead of the 2019 following his drugs ban.
Hardaker is one of the best full-backs in the world on his day. He seems to be loving life with the Warriors and has been an incredible player for Adrian Lam’s side in 2019.
The England international – who has earned five caps for his country – is from the Pontefract area of West Yorkshire. He has scored 122 tries in 237 career appearances.
2 Jermaine McGillvary
McGillvary has been a one-club man for all of his career. He made his first-grade debut for hometown club Huddersfield in 2009 after enjoying time on loan at Championship side Batley.
The 31-year-old has scored 217 tries in 303 club appearances and he has also earned 16 caps for England, scoring 12 tries.
A blockbusting winger, McGillvary is well-known for his carries out of yardage and his explosive upper body strength.
Jake Connor
Halifax-born Connor is Mr Versatile for Hull FC in Super League. He has played just about every position in the backs and has impressed wherever he has played.
The 24-year-old made his debut for England in 2018 and has since scored four tries and kicked nine goals in five appearances for his country.
Connor has scored 52 tries in 139 games for Huddersfield, Batley, Oldham and Hull. The centre or half-back is regarded as one of the most skilful players in England.
Reece Lyne
The centre came through the ranks at Hull FC, where he played eight first-team games between 2010-12. Lyne moved from his Humberside home to Wakefield in 2012.
The 26-year-old’s game has come on leaps and bounds since his transfer to Trinity. He has scored 51 tries in 161 games for the club so far.
His stellar displays for Wakefield earned him a call-up to the England Elite Performance Squad in 2018 and he made his international debut in a test against France.
Ryan Hall
The winger will forever be regarded as a legend at Leeds. He made his first-team debut for the Rhinos in 2007 and went on to score 231 tries in 328 games for the club.
Hall decided to try his luck in the NRL ahead of the 2019 season and joined Premiership winners Sydney Roosters, where he has played six games so far.
The 31-year-old is thought to be one of the best wingers in the world and boasts a prolific try scoring record for England, having bagged 36 tries in 38 international matches. He was born in Rothwell, West Yorkshire.
Gareth Widdop
The England international was born and raised in Halifax before moving across to Melbourne in Australia at the age of 16.
Widdop made his NRL debut in 2010 for Melbourne Storm and scored 10 tries in 71 games before he moved to Sydney to ply his trade for St George Illawarra Dragons in 2014. He has scored 32 tries and 373 goals in 120 appearances for the club.
The 30-year-old will move to Warrington on a three-year deal in 2020 and is a household name in the NRL. He has earned 28 caps for his country.
Luke Gale
Gale has been one of the best half-backs in Super League for the last couple of years now. His kicking has won plenty of games for Castleford over the years.
The 31-year-old is currently on the treatment table and the Tigers have certainly missed his organisation and presence this season.
Gale – who was born in Leeds – has scored 104 tries and kicked 701 goals in 283 club games for Doncaster, Harlequins, Bradford and Castleford.
George Burgess
Burgess was born in Dewsbury along with his four brothers – Tom, Luke and Sam. He has only ever played in the NRL though after moving to South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2012.
He has played 148 first-grade games for the Rabbitohs and has earned 15 caps for England. He is one of the most powerful front-rowers in the game and you certainly wouldn’t like to tackle him one-on-one.
Burgess will play in Super League next year though after agreeing to join Lancashire outfit Wigan on a three-year deal.
Josh Hodgson
The 29-year-old has transformed his career completely since making the switch from Super League to the NRL.
Hodgson has played for both Hull clubs. He made two appearances for FC before moving to KR in 2010, where he went on to play 134 games.
The England international – who has earned 19 caps for his country – has become one of the greatest hookers in the world after shining for Canberra Raiders for the last five years.
Tom Burgess
The Dewsbury-born prop made his mark on Super League in 2011 with Bradford, where he made 45 appearances before following his brothers Sam, Luke and George to South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Burgess is a starter for the Rabbitohs and is a well-experienced head after playing 134 games for the Australian outfit.
He has made 24 appearances for England since making his international debut in 2013. Burgess will be one of the first names in the Great Britain squad this autumn.
John Bateman
You will probably struggle to find a rugby league player who has a stronger Yorkshire accent than Bateman. The Bradfordian started his career at his hometown club, playing 35 games before crossing the Pennines.
Bateman linked up with Wigan in 2014 and became a legend in Lancashire, scoring 34 tries in 132 appearances for the Warriors. He has made the switch to Canberra Raiders ahead of 2019 and has taken the NRL by storm.
The 25-year-old has played 16 times on the international stage for England, scoring three tries. Bateman provides plenty of versatile as well, being able to play back-row, loose forward or centre.
Elliott Whitehead
Like his best mate Bateman, Whitehead hails from Bradford and he also started his professional career at the Bulls. He made 109 appearances for his boyhood team before moving to France to play for Catalans.
Whitehead scored 32 tries in 68 games for the Dragons where he was spotted by NRL outfit Canberra Raiders.
The back-rower has almost played 100 NRL games for the Raiders and is one of the most hard-working players in the NRL. He has earned 20 caps for England.
Sam Burgess
The 30-year-old is the most high-profile name in this Yorkshire XIII. Like his brothers, Burgess was born and raised in Dewsbury and came through the system at Bradford.
Burgess has played more than 250 games in rugby league and has also had a short spell in rugby union with Bath.
The 30-year-old earned two caps for Great Britain in his younger days and has played 24 times for England. He is up there with the very best to have played the game.
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