Leeds Rhinos, St Helens and Warrington Wolves have the strongest representation in the squads that have been selected for the latest instalment of the 2025 Academy Origin series – which takes place at Sewell Group Craven Park on Saturday 2 August (KO 12pm).
The Rhinos have 13 players in the 21-strong Yorkshire squad including Dacx Jones-Buchanan son of ex-Rhinos player and seven-time Super League Grand Final winner with Leeds Jamie Jones-Buchanan.
St Helens and Warrington each have eight players represented across both squads, with Flynn Holden included for Lancashire following a blistering performance against Leigh Leopards Academy on Saturday where the young full-back scored a hat-trick during the Wolves 62-6 victory.
Wigan Warriors have six inclusions with four new names set to represent Lancashire for the first time – Michael Porter, Harlen Smith, Jaiden Drachenberg and George Marsden.
Elsewhere, Archie Sykes is included after making his Super League debut for Huddersfield Giants earlier this season with Alfie Lindsay from Castleford Tigers and Robbie Brook and Ellis Lingard from Wakefield Trinity also selected for Yorkshire.
Wigan’s Shane Eccles will be head coach of Lancashire with assistants Ryan O’Brien of Warrington and James Simpson MBE – a member of England’s Wheelchair World Cup winning squad in 2022 who has been head coach of Leeds Rhinos Wheelchair team for the last two seasons since retiring as a player.
Castleford’s Rob Nickolay will be head coach of Yorkshire with Huddersfield Giants stalwart Leroy Cudjoe again assisting alongside Matt Nicholson of Wakefield.
Each squad will also have a distinguished former player in a new role as mentor – Luke Gale for Yorkshire, and Gary Wheeler for Lancashire.
Sewell Group Craven Park will host an Origin double-header on August 2, as the Women’s Origin fixture will follow the second men’s Academy Origin fixture of the year. Tickets for the event will be priced at £5 for Adults and £2 for Concessions.
The men’s Academy match will kick off at midday, with the Women’s match at 2pm – and both will be streamed live on the RFL YouTube channel.
Yorkshire:
Alfie Lindsay (Castleford Tigers), Archie Sykes (Huddersfield Giants), Callum Kemp (Hull FC), Chris Matagi (St Helens), Dacx Jones-Buchanan (Leeds Rhinos), Daniel Stelfox (Leeds Rhinos), Ellis Lingard (Wakefield Trinity), Frankie Dearlove (Hull KR), George Brown, Harley Thomas, Harry Smith, Jacob Hardy, Jacob Stead, Joe Diskin, Joe Butterfield (all Leeds Rhinos), Lloyd Kemp (Hull FC), Marcus Qareqare, Oscar Brown, Presley Cassell (all Leeds Rhinos), Robbie Brook (Wakefield Trinity), Zak Lloyd (Leeds Rhinos)
Lancashire:
Alfie Tate (St Helens), Billy Kelley (St Helens), Charlie Walker, Daniel Regan, Ewan Irwin (all Warrington Wolves), Finlay Yeomans (Wigan Warriors), Flynn Holden (Warrington Wolves), George Marsden (Wigan Warriors), Harlen Smith (Wigan Warriors), Jake Ramsden (Warrington Wolves), Jaiden Drachenberg (Wigan Warriors), Kian McGann (St Helens), Kian Stanton (Warrington Wolves), Lachlan Webster (Warrington Wolves), Matt Evans (St Helens), Michael Porter (Wigan Warriors), Oliver Garmston (St Helens), Ollie Morgan (Warrington Wolves), Oscar Knox (St Helens), Shea O’Connor (Wigan Warriors), Thomas Humphreys (St Helens)
