USA PLAYER POOL

All regions across the United States, including those that are home to new expansion teams, are represented in the extensive pool.

 

Players who are available will go into two mini camps prior to the Donnybrook Cup test match between the USA Tomahawks and Ireland Wolfhounds in Philadelphia on March 17.

 

Many of the players from the USA’s successful 2011 international campaign are in the pool, along with a host of new names, as well as some older, yet familiar faces.

 

Among the latter group are former Tomahawks Kenny Britt, Damien O’Malveney and Ben Kelly, all of whom are planning a return to the AMNRL in 2012. Britt and O’Malveney were on the victorious USA side that won the Atlantic Cup in 2010, but then missed the 2011 season as both were attached to clubs that broke away from the AMNRL.

 

The veteran Kelly played for the USA in the Rugby League World Cup qualifier against Samoa in 2008. Prior to that game he suited up against Australia in the one-off test in 2004 and was on the Tomahawks squad that toured down under in the early 2000s.

 

Kelly and O’Malveney are in the process of determining which club to join for the 2012 domestic season, although as they’re running the AMNRL‘s new High Performance Academy in Connecticut another option is to start up an expansion team to play in the Atlantic Conference.

 

As for Britt, he and Tomahawks captain Apple Pope are working out details that would potentially see them leave Jacksonville, FL, for the AMNRL’s new southeast team Atlanta Legion.

 

“Not too sure what exactly is going to happen,” Britt tells WeAreRugby. “I did retire from the [Jacksonville] Axemen and I am excited to see what the future holds. I would love to get back into a Tomahawks jumper.”

 

Atlanta has already attracted Tomahawk Salesi Tongamoa and former USA rugby international Phil Thiel, both of whom have been named in the player pool.

 

Likewise, another ex-USA Eagle Vaha Esikia is in the pool. Esikia operates the Las Vegas Rugby Academy and is one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the Las Vegas Warriors club to be part of the AMNRL’s new Western Conference.

 

USA Tomahawks 2012 Elite Player Pool:

Atlantic 

Fitzjames Adams (New York Knights), Leslie Alovili (Northern Raiders), Gareth Baxendale (New York Knights), Mike Brazill (Aston Bulls), Bryan Confer (Aston Bulls), John Convery (Aston Bulls), CJ Cortalano (New York Knights), Curtis Cunz (Connecticut Wildcats), John Dykeman (New York Knights), Dan Emmonds (Bucks County Sharks), Ian Elliott (New York Knights), Will Garcia (Connecticut Wildcats), Michael Garvey (Aston Bulls & Ipswich Jets - QLD Intrust Cup), Phil Giuliano (Northern Raiders), Luke Hume (New York Knights), Dan Johnson (Bucks County Sharks), Tony Kalamas (Northern Raiders), Ben Kelly (AMNRL club TBA), Andrew Kneisly (Aston Bulls), Xavier Lonzinguez (New York Knights), Conway Maraki (Aston Bulls), Corey Mayo (Aston Bulls), Damien O’Malveney (AMNRL club TBA), Eric Moreira (Northern Raiders), Calder Orr (New York Knights), Zac Padgett (Bucks County Sharks), Mike Phillips (Connecticut Wildcats), Rob Ploth (Northern Raiders), Jeff Presature (Bucks County Sharks), Charlie Rizzo (Connecticut Wildcats), Matt Reilly (Northern Raiders), Paulo Reis (Northern Raiders), Justin Ripley (New York Knights), Jacob Roses (Connecticut Wildcats), Peter Roses (Connecticut Wildcats), Ben Sadgrove (New York Knights), Mike Schacter (Connecticut Wildcats), Phil Schacter (Connecticut Wildcats), Dean Schofield (Bucks County Sharks), Phil Shipos (Bucks County Sharks), Ryan Sodano (Bucks County Sharks), Dan Taylor (New York Knights), Sean Taylor (New York Knights), Mike Thompson (Connecticut Wildcats), Steve Thompson (Bucks County Sharks), Louis Tulio (Aston Bulls), Alejandro Valentin (Aston Bulls), Joel Venables (Northern Raiders), Fred Vero (Northern Raiders), Nick Vornley (Connecticut Wildcats), Matt Walsh (Connecticut Wildcats), Justin Zadnik (Bucks County Sharks)

 

Pacific 

Andrew Malafu (Maui Voyagers), Vaka Manupuna (Maui Voyagers), Kelly McGill (Hawaii Islanders), Thomas Ray (Hawaii Islanders), Jayson Rego (Ipswich Jets - QLD Intrust Cup), Joshua Rice (Ipswich Jets - QLD Intrust Cup), Ikavalu Sake (Hawaii Islanders), Apelu So'oalu (Marist Marauders), Vai Natoa (Marist Marauders), Anthony Sunia (Marist Marauders), Tounga Talakai (Maui Voyagers), Pila Taufa (Maui Voyagers), Mike Tuala (Maui Voyagers), Mosese Uitalia (Kalihi Raiders), Dusten Umeda (Honolulu Titans)

 

Midwest 

James Anderson (Chicago Stockyarders), Dan Grace (Chicago Stockyarders), Eric Hunt (Western Storm)

 

Southeast 

Apple Pope (Florida), Salesi Tongamoa (Atlanta Legion), Phil Thiel (Atlanta Legion), Luke Collins (Chattanooga), Kenny Britt (Florida), Nate Smith (Kentucky)

 

West

Col Manners (Los Angeles), Vaha Esikia (Las Vegas), Jeff Gillingham (Sacramento State), Jeff Colata (San Francisco)

 

Overseas Based Players

Mark Cantoni (Pia Donkeys, France), Tyrone Coppedge (Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles - Qld), Nathan DeBartolo (Sydney Bulls - NSW), Kristian Freed (Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles - Qld), Danny Howard (Wentworthville Magpies - NSW), Stephen Howard (Tuggeranong Vikings - Canberra), David Marando (Belrose Eagles - NSW), Ryan McGoldrick (Castleford Tigers - SLE), Keiki Misipeka (American Samoa), Kea Misipeka (American Samoa), David Myles (unattached), Clint Newton (Penrith Panthers - NRL), Mark Offerdahl (Carcasonne, France), Joseph Paulo (Parramatta Eels - NRL), Junior Paulo (Corrimal Cougars - Illawarra Carlton League), Kevin Pease (Burleigh Bears - QLD Intrust Cup), Matt Petersen (unattached), Mitchell Stevens (Redcliffe Dolphins - QLD Intrust Cup) Jared Stewart (Leeds Rhinos - SLE)