England boss Shaun Wane has called up uncapped Salford duo Andy Ackers and Marc Sneyd plus Wigan’s Kai Pearce-Paul for the World Cup - and handed a reprieve to veteran prop Chris Hill.
Hooker Ackers, 28, and ex-Hull scrum-half Sneyd, 31, are latecomers to the international scene but have earned a surprise shot following an excellent campaign for the Red Devils.
Sneyd, of course, has also benefited after St Helens’ Jonny Lomax was pulled out of contention last night due to injury.
Rising centre Pearce-Paul, 21, is one of six players in the 24-man squad who have yet to represent their country.
Brisbane Broncos centre Herbie Farnworth, Sydney Roosters’ Australian loose forward Victor Radly - whose dad hails from Sheffield - and 21-year-old Newcastle Knights winger Dom Young, who has impressed so much in the NRL since switching from Huddersfield, are the others.
Huddersfield prop Hill is also in Wane’s plans for the first time; the experienced front-row, who turns 35 next month, is in along with ex-Warrington team-mate Mike Cooper who has benefited from a mid-season move to Wigan.
Hill is one six survivors of the 17 that lost the 2017 World Cup final against Australia in Brisbane.
He has not featured on the international stage since the 2019 Great Britain tour but enjoyed a fine season with Giants after leaving Warrington and has come in after St Helens prop Alex Walmsley was ruled out by injury.
Sam Tomkins has been confirmed as England’s World Cup captain and is one of three Catalans players along with hooker Michael McIlorum and second-row Mike McMeeken.
Super League champions St Helens have five players included - despite Lomax and Mark Percival’s late withdrawal yesterday - while there are five players from the NRL: Tom Burgess (South Sydney), Elliott Whitehead (Canberra Raiders), Luke Thompson (Canterbury), Radley, Young and Farnworth.
Those who played in the 2017 World Cup final are Burgess, Whitehead, Hill, Salford’s Kallum Watkins, Hull KR wing Ryan Hall and Wigan’s John Bateman.
England will play a World Cup warm-up match against Fiji at the AJ Bell Stadium in Salford next Friday (October 7), before they begin their World Cup campaign against Samoa at St James’ Park in Newcastle on Saturday October 15 – the opening match of the tournament.
Wane said: “After so many conversations with the players over the last two years, it’s exciting for all of us to be getting ready to go into camp for a home World Cup.
“The mood of the players and staff is fantastic, The opening match against Samoa in Newcastle is going to be a massive occasion and I know English rugby league fans and the sporting public will get behind us.”
England World Cup squad
Sam Tomkins (captain), Andy Ackers, Joe Batchelor, John Bateman, Tom Burgess, Mike Cooper, Herbie Farnworth, Ryan Hall, Chris Hill, Morgan Knowles, Matty Lees, Tommy Makinson, Michael McIlorum, Mike McMeeken, Mikolaj Oledzki, Kai Pearce-Paul, Victor Radley, Marc Sneyd, Luke Thompson, Kallum Watkins, Jack Welsby, Elliott Whitehead, George Williams, Dom Young.
