Another getnoticedonline.co.uk exclusive

GED Stokes will be heading for Beirut this week-end in charge of the Serbian national side.

The Whitehaven coach had taken on an advisory role with Serbia but has now been handed the coaching job ahead of a friendly in Lebanon.

Speaking exclusively to getnoticedonline.co.uk this morning from Belgrade the Kiwi said: “It’s been a great experience and I’m enjoying working with the Serbs. They are very keen and are adapting well to rugby league.

“The Serbs are a naturally big race of people and are actually the world basketball champions. They have been playing rugby league for a while and it was my original role to advise them on coaching.

“However, as seems to happen out here within a few days I was asked to coach the side and that is what I have been doing at the training camp ahead of Sunday’s game.

“We play Lebanon in Beirut as part of the fixtures played by the Emerging Nations in rugby league. Next year Serbia will be playing in the UK against Wales and England.

“We have a squad of 18 going to the Lebanon out of the 25 guys who have been training. The majority are based here with one an English lad who has a Serbian mother. Two others who play amateur rugby league in Britain flew in yesterday.”

The two British-based players Zoran Pešić and Dalibor Vukanović are members of the Eastmoor Dragons club.

Stokes was invited to get involved in Rugby League Europe a year ago and after an interview was invited to be part of the Serbian set-up, travelling over as an adviser.

Former Workington Town, Carlisle and Fulham professional John Risman – son of the legendary Gus Risman – had also been involved in Serbian rugby league but he has recently returned to Britain.

Rugby League was introduced in Serbia 1953 year by Dragan Marsicevic, the secretary of the Yugoslavian Sport Association.

It was in response to an offer, made by the French Rugby XIII Federation, to send two teams to play a series of four games to stimulate interest.

The first match was played in Belgrade on 26, November 1953 between French students and Selection Province and the first club, Partizan was established in the capital the same year.

What of the current crop of Serbian players? Any out there that might interest Stokes in his capacity as Whitehaven coach?

“There’s one thing for sure there are some talented players – naturals. You never know, if there’s anyone who does catch my eye I would be interested in taking a look at him at the Recreation Ground. We’ll see,” he said.

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