Who next to captain Wales?
With the immediate retirement from skipper Craig Kopczak as captain of John Kear’s side, we take a look at three potential replacements for Wales as they prepare for their European Championship Cup fixtures.
Rhodri Lloyd
The second-rower is a part of Championship side Swinton Lions, currently led by Andy Bracek, who would have been in the running for this selection but wasn’t in John Kear’s squad in the previous World Cup.
Lloyd has experience internationally and in both the Super League and Championship, having played a handful of games for Wigan between 2012 and 2015. He was also a part of the 2015 winning European Championship side and the previous two World Cup campaigns.
Lloyd, despite only being 24, has plenty of experience and whilst Stuart Littler’s side are finding life tough at the bottom of the Championship, the welsh international could be a contender to lead Wales.
He is also the youngest ever capped Wales player, having played against Italy in 2010 at just 17-year-old and could be the next leader to take his side to a winning European Cup this year.
Elliot Kear
The London Broncos fullback made his Wales debut in 2009 and, like Lloyd, has a vast experience of the game with more than 170 career appearances.
Kear, 29, has made appearances for Bradford and Rugby Union side London Welsh before joining the Broncos, who now sit fourth in the Betfred Championship table and will have the weekend off after losing to Leigh in the fifth round of the Challenge Cup.
He has had plenty of highlights with the Dragons, including a hat-trick against Scotland in 2010 and featuring in all-three games in 2015 which saw them lift the European Championship cup and a place in the World Cup.
With eight years of experience in the international game, Kear should be a leading figure to take over the captain vacancy.
Lloyd White
White, who can play just about anywhere on the field, was awarded with the Wales player of the year in 2011 at the RLIF awards and has 15 caps for the international side.
Whilst he missed out at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, he has features in some of Wales’ best performance, including a try in 2009 European Cup Final to beat Scotland 28-16.
The Widnes Vikings utility player has been in the sport for just under 10 years, and his experience is exactly what could take Wales to the 2021 World Cup hosted in England.
Who do you think could be next to captain the international side? Let us know in the comments below.