Sydney Roosters forward Nat Butcher is set to cap off a terrific season with an inclusion into the Australian Kangaroos squad for the Pacific Championships.
The 26-year-old has not registered a game at either the international level or in the State of Origin arena for the NSW Blues yet, which makes him a shock inclusion into the squad.
Despite this, the back-rower has continually shown he is one of the game's best forwards and is deserving to make his representative debut.
As reported by theย Sydney Morning Herald, Butcher has been added to the Kangaroos train-on squad alongside Roosters teammates in fullback James Tedesco and prop Lindsay Collins.
If he plays for Australia in the Pacific Championships, he will join a select group of players who made their international debut for the Kangaroos before playing State of Origin football. The last was Rabbitohs centre Campbell Graham during last year's Rugby League World Cup.
A former Australian Schoolboy and U23 Junior Australian representative, Butcher has slowly become a mainstay of the Sydney Rooster starting forward pack, amassing 126 games with the club since his debut in 2016.
Like many players looking to make their international debut, he played in the Prime Minister's XIII team last year and even crossed the line for a four-pointer.
Playing a mixture of prop, second-row and lock, his season included four tries, 29 tackle busts, a total of 2161 running metres (averaging 90 per game) and 1062 tackles at a 95.5 per cent efficiency.
Nat Butcher of the Roosters is tackled during the round 12 NRL match between the Sydney Roosters and the Gold Coast Titans at Central Coast Stadium on May 26, 2018 in Gosford, Australia. (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
