English Super League’s former Man of Steel Pat Richards is gearing up to play his final match before moving home to Australia – in front of his Irish relatives in Limerick.
Wigan’s prolific scorer will end his eight-year stay in Super League at the end of the year when he returns to Sydney to play out the rest of his career with his old NRL club Wests Tigers.
Richards, 31, who has signed a two-year contract with the Tigers, is aiming for a big finish with the Warriors and is also hoping to leave his mark on the representative scene.
He linked up on Tuesday with the Exiles in Warrington ahead of Friday’s annual clash with England at the Halliwell Jones Stadium and has confirmed that he will be available for Ireland in the end-of-year World Cup.
“Injury permitting, I’ll put my hand up for sure,” Richards said. “I’d love to be involved.
“It was really good in 2008 and we ended up doing alright. Hopefully it will be the same again.”
Ireland, who lost to Fiji in a semi-final qualifier in Australia five years ago, will get their chance of revenge in their opening Group A game at Rochdale on October 28.
They then take on England at Huddersfield before meeting Australia at Munster’s Thomond Park on November 9 in a game that Richards is already looking forward to.
“It will be strange,” he said. “I’ll probably be able to sing both national anthems.
“I’ve already spoken to a few of my family in Ireland and they’re all going to go to the game.”
More immediately, Richards will be aiming to help the Exiles continue their dominance of the mid-season fixture.
Former New Zealand coach Brian McClennan, who guided the Exiles to victory in the inaugural international origin fixture in 2011, put his 19-man squad through their paces at the University of Chester on Tuesday.
McClennan, who has been re-appointed for the one-off game after Daniel Anderson performed the role in last year’s two-match series, admits his experience from two years ago will help with the short preparation.
“The guys all know each other anyway and they’re excited by coming into a rep environment,” McClennan said.
“We know we’re playing against a really good English side and that makes it even more fun, knowing you’ve got a really good challenge coming up.
“It’s similar to how you get ready for Test matches.
“I like the concept. We get a chance to represent down under, not just New Zealand and Australia but all the Pacific islands, it’s really nice to represent all that part of the world.”
McClennan lost his job as coach of New Zealand Warriors last year.