I don’t expect to pull Wales shirt on: Gil Dudson admits World Cup KO
Wales' Gil Dudson is tackled by USA's Roman Hifo (centre) and Daniel Howard (right) during the 2013 World Cup match at Glyndwr University, Wrexham.
Wales prop Gil Dudson admits his three-match ban for a headbutt in the Super League play-offs will end his hopes of playing in the World Cup.
The suspension for the incident in Catalans’ home defeat by Leeds also counts for internationals. It means that with the Dragons’ season over, Dudson is unlikely to be deemed worth selecting by Wales in a tough World Cup group alongside PNG, Tonga and the Cook Islands.
“I’ve had a few phonecalls and I don’t think the World Cup is going to be feasible with the group we have and the squad we have,” Dudson told Love Rugby League.
“I don’t think there will be enough games in the competition for me to pull the shirt back on. We are not sure if the game before the World Cup will count towards the ban.
“I need to have the conversation with the powers that be. We play in an industry where we don’t really get much of a say in these kind of things. It wouldn’t be ideal to miss my last World Cup but c’est la vie.”
World Cup withdrawals
This year’s tournament in England has already seen several big name withdrawals ahead of the tournament kicking-off. Newcastle Knights full-back Kalyn Ponga ruled himself out of a potential Australia call-up to focus on pre-season with his NRL club.
Meanwhile, Wales are set to be without centre Bradman Best for the campaign. The 21-year-old was born in Australia but qualifies for the Dragons through the heritage rule and was expected to play for John Kear’s side this year. Meanwhile, hooker Nathan Peats has not been included in Greece’s squad ahead of their first-ever tournament.
PODCAST: Gil Dudson on Catalans red mist, winning Wigan and reigniting Warrington
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