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Have you heard the one about the former England hooker, the Great Britain coach and Gorgeous George from “Snatch” taking a bus trip across North America?

It’s not one of those bad jokes, but the latest project in the remarkable story of Toronto Wolfpack, who will join our League One next season.

The ambitious Canadian outfit will become the first professional Trans-Atlantic sports team and are expected to rise up the domestic leagues, given their considerable financial resources.

Securing highly rated former Leigh coach Paul Rowley and ex-Lions boss Brian Noble as director of rugby were major coups.

Now the pair – plus St Helens prop-turned-actor Adam Fogerty and assistant coach Simon Finnigan – will stop at eight major cities scouring the USA and Canada for potential players.

Noble said: “It’s going to be like rugby league’s very own X Factor. It’s a life experience with a mission.

“We’re all very excited by it and ready for it – although with the characters involved I’m not sure North America will be ready for us.

“Personally, I’ve always coveted looking at the market over there and the athletes that we will be able to tap into.

“We understand that there will be an element of up-skilling, but if we have guys that can do a 10-second 100 metres, or are the size of a house and can lift a house, then they’ll be on the bus.

“Ultimately, the fallout should be more people playing rugby league, which is what we all want.

“Toronto needs a North American feel, and this will provide an avenue for talented athletes to ply their trade.”

Fogerty – whose latest big-screen hit was playing the Kray brothers’ bodyguard in Tom Hardy thriller Legend – will help oversee the journey being filmed for a behind-the-scenes documentary.

He believes the trip will have significant benefits, on and off the pitch.

Fogerty said: “In America, there are that many college kids trying to get drafted into the NFL that only one per cent make it.

“After that, they’ve only got the Canadian league or Arena Football - so there’s a huge number of athletes there that don’t have the opportunity to be a professional sportsman.

“This gives them a second chance, and it’s the first time anything like this has been done.

“We’ll film it all, so you can meet the characters involved, see where they’ve come from and what it’s taken them to get to that stage.”

The tour starts in Vancouver on August 28 before visiting Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston, Montreal and finishing in Toronto.

Successful applicants will be invited to continue on the bus prior to a final trial in Toronto.

Then, up to 15 players could be invited to join the club and start life in the Canadian domestic league before aiming to make the grade in League One.

Coach Rowley added: “If we can get these athletes growing up with a rugby ball in their hand, it’s going to be very exciting.”

Any players interested in attending the trials can find details at http://www.lasttacklemedia.com.