Khaled Rajab (Arabic: خالد رجب; born 26 February 2002) is a Lebanese Australian footballer who plays as a five-eighth or fullback for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League (NRL). Rajab previously played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs where he made his debut. He also plays for the Lebanon international rugby league team.
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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 26 February 2002 Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 179 cm (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 85 kg (187 lb; 13 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Five-eighth, Fullback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 2 July 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Background edit
Rajab was born in New South Wales, Australia. He is Muslim and of Lebanese descent.[2] Rajab played his junior football for Bankstown Sports, whom he joined as a four-year-old.[3] Rajab graduated from Al Noori Muslim School in Greenacre in 2019.
Playing career edit
Rajab played in every Canterbury junior rank, including Harold Matthews Cup, Jersey Flegg, NSW Cup and was the SG Ball player of the year in 2021.
2022 edit
In 2022, Rajab captained the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Jersey Flegg side. He also played in four games for the Bulldogs in the NSW Cup including the NSW Cup grand final loss against the Penrith Panthers NSW Cup team.[4]
International career edit
In 2022, Rajab was named in the Lebanon squad for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.[5]
Rajab made his international debut against Ireland in 42–18 victory for Lebanon.[citation needed]
Rajab's impressive form on the international stage attracted considerable attention from Phil Gould and rugby league commentators, with Gould declaring on Twitter "I'm sure he will debut next year, probably at 7".[3] Rajab said in response to the attention: "I heard about that tweet. Some of my mates sent it to me saying, ‘Look what Gus said about you’. I was shocked, I thought, ‘No way’," Rajab told The Daily Telegraph.[clarification needed] "As a kid this is what you dream of. "For Gus to even mention I might have a chance to play NRL, I’m grateful. It makes me want to work harder to get that shot."[citation needed]
Rajab was included in the Top 30 for the 2023 season.[citation needed]
2023 edit
Rajab began the NSW Cup season with 11 appearances, six try assists and three tries guiding the Bulldog's reserve grade squad to the top of the ladder.
Rajab was a late inclusion into the Canterbury team that faced the Sydney Roosters in round 15 at Central Coast Stadium, losing 25–24. Rajab came off the bench to replace Karl Oloapu in the last twenty minutes, achieving his National Rugby League first grade debut.[6] Rajab played four games for Canterbury in the 2023 NRL season as the club finished 15th on the table.[7]
2024 edit
After beginning the season in Ron Massey Cup, Rajab signed with the Newtown Jets and made his debut in NSW Cup Round 9 against the Dragons, winning 26-10.
References edit
- ^ "Khaled Rajab - Career Stats & Summary". www.rugbyleagueproject.org.
- ^ "Khaled Rajab". Zero Tackle.
- ^ a b "Khaled Rajab eyeing Bulldogs debut, has backing of Phil Gould & Cameron Ciraldo". Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- ^ "'I bleed blue and white': Lebanon rookie set to step up for Bulldogs". National Rugby League. 24 October 2022.
- ^ "Full list of every squad at the Rugby League World Cup 2021". LoveRugbyLeague. 4 October 2022.
- ^ "'I pretty much deleted all social media': James Tedesco bounces back from State of Origin criticism with Roosters masterclass". www.news.com.au.
- ^ "NRL 2023: Canterbury Bulldogs season review". www.sportingnews.com.