7 familiar names on NRL train and trial deals including Super League icon’s son

There’s a heap of young players on train and trial contracts with NRL clubs ahead of next season, trying to prove their worth so they can potentially feature in first-grade in 2025.

From international players to sons of Super League icons: there are several names on the NRL train and trial lists that may be familiar to British rugby league fans, too.

Let’s get into them, shall we?

Cooper Bai – Gold Coast Titans

English fans will certainly recognise the surname here, with Titans train and trialist Cooper Bai being none other than the son of former Bradford Bulls and Leeds Rhinos winger Marcus Bai.

Marcus actually first came over to England in 1996 with Hull FC: but it was at Leeds and Bradford where he really became a household name in England, winning a Super League title and Challenge Cup with the Rhinos and a World Club Challenge title with the Bulls.

Cooper has also gone on record in saying he wants to follow in his father’s footsteps in representing Papua New Guinea on the international stage one day.

Peter Hola – Dolphins

British rugby league fans might be familiar with the name because Hola has been linked with a move to Super League several times over the last couple of years: but the move has never materialised.

The Australia-born prop, who was raised in New Zealand and is of Tongan heritage, has 15 appearances in the NRL to his name – 12 for North Queensland Cowboys and three for Canberra Raiders. Hola is currently on a train and trial with the Dolphins.

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Morgan Harper – Melbourne Storm

Harper is probably one of the most high-profile names who is on a train and trial contract in the NRL ahead of next season.

The Kiwi centre has 64 first-grade appearances to his name, having played for Parramatta Eels and Manly Sea Eagles since making his NRL debut for Canterbury Bulldogs back in 2019.

A Māori All Stars representative, Harper is another player who has been linked with Super League in the past but never made the move. He is currently training with Melbourne.

Kyle Pickering – Cronulla Sharks

Not many British rugby league fans may have heard of Pickering: but the international rugby league gurus out there will have.

Why’s that? Well, Pickering has actually played on British soil before, having played for Italy in the Rugby League World Cup back in 2022, representing his Italian heritage against his birth nation Australia in St Helens.

Pickering is currently on a train and trial with Cronulla as he seeks his NRL debut.

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Morea Morea – North Queensland Cowboys

Morea Morea: so good they named him twice!

The 23-year-old made his international debut for his native Papua New Guinea in this year’s Pacific Championships, scoring a try in their 42-20 win over the Cook Islands in Port Moresby. He was actually 18th man for the Test, but was allowed to come on following head injury protocols to his team-mates.

Morea is an exciting player: and his dazzling performance for the Kumuls has seemingly earned him a shot with the Cowboys.

Jaxson Rahme – Wests Tigers

Any more of you internationalistas out there? Well, here is another one for you…

Lebanon international Rahme is on a train and trial with the Tigers as he aims to make his NRL breakthrough in 2025.

Rahme was born and raised in Australia but is of Lebanese heritage. He made his international debut for Lebanon in the Rugby League World Cup in 2022, representing the Cedars against Ireland, Jamaica and Australia.

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Jett Cleary – New Zealand Warriors

We think you may recognise the surname, potentially…

Jett (what a name, by the way) is the younger brother of NRL superstar Nathan Cleary and the son of Penrith Panthers coach Ivan Cleary.

Jett will start his own NRL journey via a train and trial contract with the Warriors before moving onto a development deal in 2026.

Cleary was born in Auckland on April 2, 2005, just as his father Ivan was beginning his role as an assistant coach with the Warriors before becoming head coach in 2006. The Cleary DNA is rugby league through and through.

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