St George Illawarra forward Tyson Frizell has re-affirmed his commitment to Wales despite being called up by Tonga.

The second row forward, who played for Wales in the 2013 World Cup, was on Friday named in an initial 58-strong Tonga squad for their forthcoming Asia-Pacific World Cup qualifier against the Cook Islands.

Wales team manager Bob Wilson said: “We met with Tyson earlier this year when he was in the UK for the World Club Series and he gave a clear commitment to Wales.

“On seeing the announcement by Tonga we have been in contact with Tyson to check if this was correct and we are delighted to say that the player remains a Welsh International.

“He is a huge talent and his assurances that he is committed to Wales’ push towards the 2017 Rugby League World Cup is a great boost to us all.”

Wales say they have been aware for some time that Frizell is unavailable for this year’s European Championship.