Lebanon have brought in former London Broncos boss Tony Rea to their coaching staff for their World Cup campaign in England.
Rea links up with head coach Michael Cheika for the Men’s tournament, with the side set to feature in Group C alongside New Zealand, Ireland and Jamaica.
Cheika, 55, who is also currently the head coach of the Argentina national rugby union team, has plenty of experience within his coaching staff for the Cedars.
Former NRL and Warrington centre Matt King is Cheika’s right-hand man. Former Wests Tigers and international hooker Robbie Farah, who captained Lebanon in the 2017 World Cup, is also on the backroom staff.
Jake Friend, who played more than 250 professional games in the NRL, is also a part of the Lebanese coaching staff.
“We’ve a really good base of knowledge from some coaches that have been involved at the top end of the game,” said Cheika.
Potential international clash for Lebanon boss
Cheika was appointed head coach of Argentina rugby union earlier this year, and is set to lead the side through the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
A successful campaign for Lebanon could see a potential clash for the former Wallabies boss, with Argentina set to take on Eddie Jones’ England at Twickenham in the autumn internationals on November 8.
If the Cedars get through their group, they would most likely play Australia in the first quarter-final at Huddersfield just two days before.
“At this stage, all those things are prioritised by games, so whichever game is first goes first,” Cheika said.
“I’ll be honest, I haven’t even looked at dates because one thing I’ve learned about World Cups is that you should not look forward, you should only look right in front of you.
“If you start thinking about what’s down the road, you’ll get caught out.”
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