Our Olympic flag football team made from western rugby league players

Six new sports have been added to the Los Angeles event, including baseball, cricket, lacrosse, squash and softball.

But the event we're turning our attention to is flag football. Yep, you read that right, a knock-off version of American football will be contested on the world stage.

Before we get to our 10-man team compiled from some of the best rugby league players west of the Blue Mountains, let's take a look at the rules by which they would be playing under.

To start with, this is a non-contact sport with 'tackles' made by removing one of three 'flags' attached to the ball-carrier's waist with one on each side and another at the back...or Oz tag essentially.

Each team can only have five players on the field at each time, reduced from the regular 11 in your standard game of gridiron.

This tweak rules out many of the forwards vying for selection, but not all of them.

With Australia signalling its intention to field a team in 2028, we take a look at the best players from the Peter McDonald Premiership - as well as one from the Woodbridge Cup - that we believe would give the Games a red-hot crack.

With less players on the field at any one time, it's going to be pace that wins things on both sides of the ball.

These are the stars of this team and while they may not all line up on the field at the same time, their contribution will be felt in one way or another at some point.

Ash 'Flash' Widders from Nyngan, Troyden Dixon and Rory Madden from Dubbo CYMS as well as Orange Hawks' Harry Wald will make up the core of our wide receiver and defensive backs group.

In other words, they'll be tasked with either catching the ball or stopping the ball being caught.

Each of these high-flyers could make a case as being the fastest players in the PMP and that's we need from the players who will be putting points on the board.

It's not just those lined up out wide who will be the difference makers though.

Although gridiron as a whole has moved further and further towards a pass first, pass often game, there still exists a role for those with speed and vision to manoeuvre their way around a defender from the backfield.

In other words, these will be our running backs and utility stars.

St Pat's centre Jackson Brien and Hawks fullback Ryan Manning make too much sense in this regard.

Both players were selected into our PMP team of 2023 and you would be hard-pressed to find a pair of players more crafty than them.

Not only would they be a big boost on offense, their defensive play-making would be invaluable to this flag football squad.

While it's the speedsters who get most of the credit, every team needs an enforcer or two who are willing to put their body on the line and do the hard yards.

Whether this be snapping the ball or rushing the passer, these big men bring a certain skillset which we think could be the difference between gold and going home empty.

Bathurst Panthers captain Jake Betts and Hawks' Matt Boss not only posses the willpower to play as much or as little as you want, but their crafty style of prop play could bring a different tempo to the game.

Then we've got our pure lineman Ethan Bereyne of Orange United. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't fancy rushing the passer if this Woodbridge Cup bulldozer stood in my way.

Quite possibly the most important position on the field, the QB carries the team on his shoulders for the majority of every match.

So we need a player who is versatile enough to adapt when things get tough, but also with the skill to leave defenders scratching their heads.

One name immediately came to mind; Jeremy Thurston.

The Dubbo CYMS star can line up anywhere in the backs and cause chaos with immediate effect.

Can he throw a tight spiral? Who knows, but it's worth a shot.

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