EL MASRI AND FARAH NAMED IN LEBANON EUROPEAN CUP SQUAD

[Geo]

EL MASRI AND FARAH NAMED IN LEBANON EUROPEAN CUP SQUAD
Wednesday 30 Sep 2009 09:13
Lebanon coach John Elias has named the Cedars 33-man train-on squad for the 2009 European Cup.
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It includes some well-known names in Hazem El Masri, the top points scorer in Australia's NRL, and Robbie Farah, the New South Wales hooker, and Newcastle utility George Ndeira.
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Farah, now a marquee player in the NRL, made his representative debut in the first ever international match in Lebanon, the 2002 Mediterranean Cup, in a side that also featured El Masri who, alongside Chris Salem, is one of only two survivors from the 2000 world cup squad. Salem, who captained the side in the 2008 world cup qualifiers, is joined by 14 other players who played a part in Lebanon's brave but ultimately futile qualification tilt, which ended against Samoa in the repechage play-off.
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Salem and play-maker Anthony Farah are the most experienced players in the squad, both with 12 caps, followed by Ndeira, arguably Lebanon's best player throughout the world cup qualifying campaign, with nine and local front row Robin Hachache, who captained the national team in the 2008 Euro Med Challenge, with eight.
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The squad will be trimmed to 20 on 5th October before the Sydney-based players join up with the locals in Lebanon on 21st October. Three days later Lebanon hosts Italy in Tripoli before heading over to the UK to complete the campaign over the subsequent two weekends.
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Liam Ayoub - Bulldogs, SG Ball
Danny Barakat - Bankstown City, Bundaberg Red Cup
Danny Chiha - Windsor, NSW Cup
Jamie Clarke - Bulldogs, NRL
Ghassan Dandach - Jounieh RLFC, Bank of Beirut Championship
Khaled Deeb
Nathan Dib - Bulldogs, Toyota Cup
Ahmad Ellaz - Cronulla, Toyota Cup
Youssef El Helou - Jounieh RLFC, Bank of Beirut Championship
Hazem El Masri - Bulldogs, NRL
Mounir Finan - Jounieh RLFC, Bank of Beirut Championship
Ray Finan - LAU, Bank of Beirut Championship
Anthony Farah - Mounties, Bundaberg Red Cup
Charlie Farah - Bankstown City, Bundaberg Red Cup
Robbie Farah - Wests Tigers, NRL
Robin Hachache - LAU, Bank of Beirut Championship
Jad Hashem - LAU, Bank of Beirut Championship
Wael Harb - Wolves RLFC, Bank of Beirut Championship
Paul Jabbour - Jounieh, Bank of Beirut Championship
Allen Khoury - LAU, Bank of Beirut Championship
John Koborsi - Wentworthville, Bundaberg Red Cup
Josh Mansour - South Sydney, Toyota Cup
Tommy Mansour - Bankstown City, Bundaberg Red Cup
Ray Moujalli - Newtown Jets- NSW Cup
Karim Mourabet - Jounieh RLFC, Bank of Beirut Championship
George Ndaira - Newcastle Knights, NRL
Toufic Nicholas - Bankstown City, Bundaberg Red Cup
Reece Robinson - North Sydney Bears, NSW Cup
Jarrod Saffy - St George Illawarra, NRL
Adnan Saleh - Bankstown City, Bundaberg Red Cup
Chris Salem - Bankstown City, Bundaberg Red Cup
Daniel Sayegh - North Sydney Bears, NSW Cup

:wahoo: Congrats…....Robbie, Anthony and Charlie........

 

[steven_tiger]

Saffy? 😱pen_mouth:

 

[bjm8]

Saffy? 😱pen_mouth:

My thoughts exactly…

I thought he'd only be eligible for Australia, South Africa, or the English cricket team...

 

[crouching_tiger]

Anyone know what's happened to Ohmar Ahmed aka Adam Dib?

 

[system]

Playing in a lower grade for pretty decent coin apparantly.

From what I was told he lacked the motivation required to progress further

 

[Hit_or_Miss]

Saffy? 😱pen_mouth:

:laughing: Thats is too funny! When did this happen?

 

[crouching_tiger]

Playing in a lower grade for pretty decent coin apparantly.

From what I was told he lacked the motivation required to progress further

That's a shame, he was a VERY good footballer.

 

[crouching_tiger]

Saffy? 😱pen_mouth:

:laughing: Thats is too funny! When did this happen?

Probably the same time Sims declared he was Fijian..

 

[Aladinsane]

Saffy? 😱pen_mouth:

It's beacause Jasmin Lebanese Restaurant in Punchbowl is his favourite Munch feed :wink:

 

[Marshall_magic]

Saffy? 😱pen_mouth:

:laughing: Thats is too funny! When did this happen?

They were talking about it on the Footy Show a month or so back. Dell said Saff had a call from the Lebanese RL people asking him to play for them. I think his mum was Lebanese.

 

[ed612313]

no
His dad is 100% lebanese. Mum is SA.
He is, by all rights allowed to play for lebanon, SA or Oz as far as the rules are concerned.

 

[Marshall_magic]

no
His dad is 100% lebanese. Mum is SA.
He is, by all rights allowed to play for lebanon, SA or Oz as far as the rules are concerned.

I knew it was one of his parents. His selection is no where near as crazy as it sounds either way.

 

[crouching_tiger]

So do any of these rep duties clash with Farah now being named in Kangaroos squad?? Either way Faffy is going to be extremely burnt out before next season starts!!

 

[Marshall_magic]

So do any of these rep duties clash with Farah now being named in Kangaroos squad?? Either way Faffy is going to be extremely burnt out before next season starts!!

He can't play for 2 countries in 1 year. similar deal to Tuiaki and Moimoi last year with Tonga/NZ.

 

[Pierre_M7]

I want him to play for Lebanon, they didnt let him play for the world cup qualifiers and it cost my country a world cup spot, he would of made a big difference if he played for them, so I dunno what others think but I hope he plays for Lebanon.

 

[Sabre]

**El Masri out of Lebanon squad**
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Lebanon's preparations for the rugby league European Nations Cup have dealt a blow with the news that Canterbury Bulldogs star and world record points' scorer, Hazem El Masri has decided to retire and will not be part of the Cedars squad for the upcoming tournament.
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El Masri's decision comes after Lebanon had lost another of their stars in Robbie Farah after the Wests Tigers hooker was named in the Australian squad for the upcoming Four Nations tournament.
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"After genuinely considering joining the squad to finish his playing days off in Tripoli, the city of his birth, Hazem decided that after an exhausting NRL season, disappointing finals exit with the 'Dogs and an emotional personal farewell to Rugby League in Sydney, that he could not make himself available to the Lebanon squad for the three weeks' duration of the European Cup," coach John Elias said while naming his final 20 man squad.
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The list of absentees also includes Farah's brother Charlie, Anthony Farah (no relation), Nathan Dib and Jarrod Saffy all of whom are injury withdrawals.
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Lebanon begin their campaign on 24th October, when the Cedars host Italy in the Tripoli Olympic Stadium, before traveling to Glasgow to face Scotland on 1st November.
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Experienced line up
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Elias has retained 11 of the players who formed part of the 2008 World Cup qualification squad which narrowly missed out on entry into the finals.
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Chief among them are veteran captain Chris Salem, who played in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, when Lebanon made its debut on the international stage.
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Salem has 14 caps - second behind only Charlie Nohra - and led the team brilliantly in Europe in 2007.
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He will be ably supported by Newcastle Knights utility George Ndeira who debuted for Lebanon in the 2004 Mediterranean Cup and has since gone on to play for some of Australia's biggest clubs, including Sydney Roosters and South Sydney, before moving onto Newcastle.
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He won two man-of-the-match awards in the 2007 World Cup qualifiers and was the architect of a notable 50-26 win over Wales, arguably Lebanon's best ever performance.
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Former Balamand star Allen Soultan also retains his place after making his senior representative bow as a 17-year old in the 2004 Med Cup.
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John Koborsi and Khaled Deeb will provide much of the muscle up front in a pack that will be marshaled by the Bulldogs' skilful hooker Jamie Clarke, while Adnan Saleh poses a significant attacking threat in the backs.
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Of the local players, LAU Immortals prop Robin Hachache is the most experienced, having played in every match for Lebanon since 2007, while Youssef El Helou and Ghassan Dandach are experienced tourists.
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The squad is rounded off with eight players making their debut for the Cedars.
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Lebanon squad
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Liam Ayoub - Bulldogs, SG Ball, Steven Azzi - Sydney Roosters, Danny Barakat - Bankstown City, Bundaberg Red Cup, Danny Chiha - Windsor, NSW Cup, Jamie Clarke - Canterbury Bulldogs, Ghassan Dandach - Jounieh RLFC, Bank of Beirut Championship, Khaled Deeb - Newtown Jets, Youssef El Helou - Jounieh RLFC, Bank of Beirut Championship, Ahmad Ellaz - Cronulla Sharks, Robin Hachache - LAU Immortals, Bank of Beirut Championship, Wael Harb - Wolves RLFC, Bank of Beirut Championship, Jad Hashem - LAU Immortals, Bank of Beirut Championship, John Koborsi- Wentworthville, Bundaberg Red Cup, Josh Mansour - South Sydney, Toyota Cup, George Ndaira - Newcastle Knights, Reece Robinson - North Sydney Bears, NSW Cup, Travis Robinson - Chester Hill, Adnan Saleh - Bankstown City- Bundaberg Red Cup, Chris Salem - Bankstown City- Bundaberg Red Cup, Allen Soultan - Wests Magpies