After being kept off the team for months, Will Pryce, the son of Leon Pryce and former player for the Huddersfield Giants, is about to make his NRL debut for the Newcastle Knights.
Star of England and Great Britain, Leon Pryce won 19 major trophies, including four Super League crowns and six Challenge Cup victories. He played for the illustrious Bradford Bulls and St Helens teams.Meanwhile, Will Pryce himself made his debut in 2021 with Huddersfield and has since played for the England Knights.
He participated in 17 S uper League games with the Giants in 2024, but he hasn’t yet played in the NRL Premiership. Instead, he played in the NSW Cup for reserve grade, where he scored six tries and established himself as the team’s go-to kicker.
Even so, Adam O’Brien, the head coach of the Knights, doesn’t seem to be impressed with him thus far.
A few weeks ago, legendary NRL half-back Andrew Johns called on O’Brien to hand Pryce a debut after a poor performance from Jack Cogger and former Wigan and Salford man Jackson Hastings, but he made no changes for the next game, saying:
“I don’t want to make any knee jerk reactions now, although I did change the spine up earlier in the year a few times.
To be honest, I believe Will is still getting used to the game here. I’m not sure how many NSW Cup games Joey has seen, but Pierce hasn’t had many consecutively excellent ones.
But after three straight losses, the most recent against the Penrith Panthers, it appears that he may have had a change of heart.
“English recruit Will Pryce set to make his NRL debut for Newcastle Knights vs Parramatta Eels this weekend,” according to The Mole.
The lineup has been revealed, and the former Huddersfield Giants player is in fact included. Will Pryce will start in the first half alongside Jackson Hastings, a former star for Salford and Wigan.
Another Englishman, Kai Pearce-Paul, is also playing for the Knights despite missing the previous game due to a late withdrawal.
The club announced Pryce’s upcoming debut and confirmed his inclusion in the squad in a statement that said, “With his side fresh off their second bye, O’Brien has named Will Pryce to make his NRL debut, with the 21-year-old Englishmen set to become Knight #351.”
David Armstrong, a purported transfer target for the Leigh Leopards, is listed on the extended bench rather than the 17-man roster.
