Malta coach Joe Grima has confirmed Penrith Panthers sensation Jarrod Sammut will play when Malta meet Portugal next Saturday at the Western Weekender Stadium in Sydney.

Sammut will also lead Penrith in today’s Jersey Flegg Grand Final after returning from knee surgery only two weeks ago before backing up six days later for the match against Portugal

But the match will mark a fairytale finish for another Sammut, Ben, the former Cronulla Sharks fullback who will hang up his boots on Australian soil with this – his seventh international appearance for Malta and his sixth as skipper of the fledgling nation.

“I’m excited to play Portugal for a number of reasons” says Malta coach Joe Grima.

“Portugal are at about the stage where we (Malta) were two years ago in that we are both are trying to promote Rugby League to our respective communities”

Likewise, Mal Speers, who has jointly created a ‘strong rapport’ between the two fledgling nations, is just as excited about the upcoming international to be played out among the two communities at the Western Weekender Stadium at St Marys.

“It will be a big test for Portugal. This is our biggest game in our short history” says Speers, the Portugal coach and President of the team’s governing body.

And in the true build-up to a big game come big name players with Portugal to be led once again by the Sharks’ Isaac De Gois while Malta coach Joe Grima has selected Penrith Panthers fullback Jarrod Sammut to make his third appearance for the Knights.

But Grima has not revealed anything more as far as which position the proficient halfback will play against Portugal.

“We’re fortunate to have the services available to us of Jarrod Sammut who’s played the last five games in the top grade (NRL)”

“The guy they call ‘Aker’ and we call ‘Jazz’ is built small in stature but large where it counts, in his heart” says Grima.

Sammut though, will not be the only 20 year old to take the field on Saturday, with a host of debutants selected by the coaching panel of both nations.

Portugal will field a young side, predominantly to give their players some “big match experience” while Malta openly admit they are building towards the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.

Maltese local players will mix with what will be the “nucleus for Malta’s 2013 World Cup campaign”.

A Maltese selection of players and staff will fly to Malta only three days after the encounter against Portugal to coordinate coaching clinics and training sessions for Maltese locals before the nation’s first ever domestic rugby league competition kicks off on 13 October.