Netherlands squad selected ahead of domestic finals

Netherlands coach Kane Krlic has announced his 24-man squad for the upcoming internationals.

The Orange will take on Germany in Rotterdam on September 1 and head to Gothenberg on September 22 to face Sweden.

Krlic said: “After winning our first Test matches in eleven years since formation by beating Germany and Sweden last year, I felt it was important to reward that group of talented players, who form the bulk of the squad.

“I am really excited to not only see how much they have improved by being exposed to a higher level of domestic rugby league this season but also to see what the sprinkling of newcomers can add; it is a really young squad.

“When I first took over as coach four years ago, we made a conscious decision to make the domestic competition the priority and I believe that now we have started to see the fruits of that.

“We are growing the game organically and not only has the player pool increased, the standard also rises each year.”

The Netherlands Rugby League Bond Grand Final will see Amsterdam Cobras take on Den Haag Knights, which will ensure a first-time champion.

Rotterdam Pitbulls face Harderwijk Dolphins, who have the most representatives in the national squad, in the third-place play-off.

Netherlands Rugby League Bond 24-man squad: Adam Braksator, Thieu Heuijerjans, Daan van Rossum, Joran Schoenmaker, David Schram (Amsterdam Cobras); Paul Dirkzwager, Lucas Gout, Robbin van Wijk, Bonne Wilce (Den Haag Knights); Benji van Bodegraven, Gydo van den Heuvel, Rick Huther, Santino Landus, Daniel de Ruiter, Arie-Tjerk Razoux Schultz, Ruben Stuifzand, Hans Verveer (Harderwijk Dolphins); Hannes Bavius, Ben Dommerhuisjen, Patrick Funk, Shadan Lavia, Isaac Ngirubiu, Dominic Stuivenberg, Emerson de Werk (Rotterdam Pitbulls).