Malta and Greece will meet in a rugby league international friendly at the Fairfax Community Stadium in Sydney on 8 October, with the game providing Malta coach Joe Grima with a practical warm-up before Malta’s clash with England at Marsa Stadium on 22 October.

First Grade star players including Wests Tigers’ John Skandalis for Greece and Parramatta Eels’ Michael Vella for Malta are probables for the match that is expected to draw a strong legion of followers from the respective communities of the east coast of Australia.

Malta will use the match to experiment with the use of four Premier League players amongst ex NRL stars in the lead up to the Malta vs England ‘historic first game of rugby league in Malta’ match at Marsa in Malta two weeks later.

Greece have already named former Sydney Roosters and current English Super League star Michael Korkidas (Wakefield Trinity Wildcats) and ex-NRL stars Jim Serdaris and George Gatis in a 28-man squad.

The match will provide Malta head coach Joe Grima with a good opportunity to trial positions for his squad with the tour to Malta in mind.

“Our direction will be first-rate with Luke (Branighan) and Ben (Sammut) in the halves. Both are ex NRL players and know how to handle this level of rugby league” says Grima.

“The forwards will boast improved size and skill from our match against Fiji A last October…”

“As it was in the Sevens’ earlier this year, our back line will possess plenty of speed on the edges.”

With Greece following on with past Mediterranean experiences in matches against Italy in past years, the match against Malta is being billed as a ‘battle of the Mediterranean’.

The Knights, as Malta are known, will attract their fair share of celebrity supporters to the Fairfax Community Stadium on 8 October, including rugby league legend Mario Fenech, iron woman Candice Falzon and even NRL stars that will be unavailable to play in the main fixture on the night itself.