Lebanon Confirm 23-Man World Cup Squad as Cheika Turns to Cedars' NRL Core

The Cedars are set. Lebanon have locked in their 23-man squad for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, with coach Michael Cheika drawing almost exclusively from NRL clubs and their feeder systems for a tournament that opens against Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby on October 17.

The headline names are familiar: Wigan Warriors winger Abbas Miski, Lebanon's most dangerous international weapon with 13 tries in 13 Tests including four at the last World Cup, and Canterbury winger Jacob Kiraz, who is expected to shift to fullback and carry the attack. Manly winger Jason Saab earns his first World Cup after an ACL injury denied him in 2022, his 15 tries this season making him one of the form wingers in the squad.

The 23 includes Parramatta outside back Mohamed Alameddine, selected despite missing most of the season, and veteran Tigers prop Alex Twal. Cheika's side will be without Adam Doueihi to injury, while Mitchell Moses — who had been courted by Lebanon — chose to represent Australia instead.

Lebanon face a daunting group-stage draw: PNG in Port Moresby, then Tonga and France at Sydney's CommBank Stadium. Quarter-finalists at the previous World Cup, the Cedars open camp with former NSW State of Origin coach Matt King assisting Cheika, who steps into the role before leaving his Roosters assistant post to coach the Waratahs in Super Rugby Pacific.