England’s head coach Shaun Wane, said the decision to leave the Man of Steel of the Super League, Jake Connor, outside his squad for ashes was “not really difficult”. He added that he did not understand the obsession surrounding the exile of the Rhinos leeds that were half a back.
Connor is the most prominent removal from the 24-Man Squad to take in Australia in the first series of Ashes since 2003. It begins on October 25 in Wembley, with trials in Eveton and Headingley to follow a series of Saturdays. There are a number of surprises integration, including a returnfor Hull KR’s Joe Burgess after his two-test performance at the Super League Grand Final on Saturday. Winger has been out of the national side for a decade.
Connor was crowned last week as Man of Steel, an award recognizing the most Pare -Same player in the domestic season. Wane, however, was unstoppable by the suggestions that Connor was supposed to be in his squad. When asked how difficult that decision was, he said: “It’s not really difficult.
“He’s a very good player is Jake and I talked to him on Sunday and he’s available for the World Cup next year. When choosing a lot, the thing you can’t hear from me is ‘he won the Man of Steel’.
“I don’t pay attention to things like that. I don’t know who’s in [Super League] Example of Dream Team. That never entered my counting. I watched all the players playing and I knew who could do an amazing job against Australia.
“We have a great chat. He’s a really good kid and a lot of time for him. But there are other players, except Jake Connor, not got this 24 and I don’t see the attraction from every single person … The Man of Steel, it just doesn’t mean anything to me.”
There were first test call-ups for Leigh Forward Owen trout and the Gold Coast Titans’ AJ Brimson, born in Australia. The 27-year-old back is qualified by his English mother.
Quick guide
England Ashes Squad
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John Bateman (North Queensland Cowboys), AJ Brimson (Gold Coast Titans), Joe Burgess (Hull KR), Daryl Clark (St Helens), Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins), Ethan Havard (Wigan Warriors), Morgan Knowles (St Skens), Matty Lees (St Helens), Mikey Lewis (Hull), Jz Litten (Hull (Hull (Hull (Hull (Hull (Hull (Hull (Hull (Hull), Jez Litten (Hull (Hull (Hull (Hull (Hull (Hull (Hull (Hull), Jez Litten (KR), Mike McMeEken (Wakefield Trinity), Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos) Oledzki (Leeds Rhinos), Tom Johnstone (Wakefield Trinity), Kai Pearce-Paul (Newcastle Knights), Harry Smith (Wigan Warriors), Morgan Smithies (Canberra Raiders), Owen Trout (Leigh Leopards), Alex Walmsley.
He is one of the six players based on the NRL in the squad, along with Herbie Farnworth and Kai Pearce-Paul who maintained their premises after the success of the series against Samoa last year. The prospect of a first success of Ashes since 1970 represents a more stringent task, even though Wane followed that he had a group to achieve that.
“There are some poor decisions that should be given to the quality we have in both the Super League and NRL, but I’m confident that 24 selected will give us the best chance to win this series,” he said.
