England coach Tony Smith has named three new faces in his 24-man squad for the forthcoming Gillette Four Nations against Australia, France and world champions New Zealand.
Sam Tomkins, the 2009 engage Super League Young Player of the Year, is joined by Warrington Wolves utility back Chris Bridge and Kyle Eastmond, the St Helens half-back who delivered a strong performance in defeat at Old Trafford last Saturday.
Tomkins and Bridge are also included in Smith’s 20-man squad for the Gillette Fusion International against Wales at The Brewery Field, Bridgend, this Saturday, October 7.
All three players short-listed for the 2009 Super League Young Player of the Year award, Tomkins, Eastmond and Richie Myler, are included in England’s Gillette Four Nations squad, which also features three other players aged under 21.
“It’s great to see some young and fresh faces in there, this is very much a squad for now and a squad which looks to the future,” said England Head Coach Tony Smith.
“These young players will do a good job for us alongside the wealth of experience that exists elsewhere in the squad.
“The depth of talent reflects the increasing numbers of exciting young players who are emerging from engage Super League.”
The Gillette Four Nations squad is drawn from 11 clubs, 10 from engage Super League and one from the NRL, Wests Tigers who are represented by Gareth Ellis.
Leeds, the 2009 engage Super League champions, have the greatest presence with five players: Kevin Sinfield, Danny McGuire, Ryan Hall, Lee Smith and Jamie Peacock.
St Helens, the 2009 Grand Final runners-up, have four representatives in Kyle Eastmond, James Graham, James Roby and Jon Wilkin.
Those nine players will be rested for this weekend’s Gillette Fusion International against Wales at The Brewery Field, Bridgend, on Saturday when Smith will be looking for the players involved to make a big impression.
“For some of them it’s a good chance to show that they can make the step up on to the international stage; for others it’s an opportunity to blow off some cobwebs and build confidence and form going into the Four Nations.”
The 20-man England squad for the Gillette Fusion International against Wales at The Brewery Field, Bridgend:
(Club side and community club in brackets)
Chris Bridge (Warrington Wolves, Waterhead)
Tom Briscoe (Hull FC, Featherstone Lions)
Sam Burgess (Bradford Bulls, Dewsbury Moor)
Garreth Carvell (Warrington Wolves, Stanningley)
Tony Clubb (Harlequins, Greenwich Admirals)
Gareth Ellis (Wests Tigers, Castleford Lock Lane)
Peter Fox (Hull Kingston Rovers, York Acorn)
Ben Harrison (Warrington Wolves, Barrow Island)
Mickey Higham (Warrington Wolves, Leigh Miners)
Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook (Harlequins, Greenwich Admirals)
Scott Moore (Huddersfield Giants, Blackbrook)
Adrian Morley (Warrington Wolves, Eccles)
Richard Myler (Salford City Reds, Halton West Bank)
Sean O’Loughlin (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks)
Stefan Ratchford (Salford City Reds, Wigan St Patricks)
Michael Shenton (Castleford Tigers, Upton)
Paul Sykes (Bradford Bulls, Thornhill Trojans)
Danny Tickle (Hull FC, Parkside Golborne)
Sam Tomkins (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks)
Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves, Normanton Knights)
The 24-man England squad for the Gillette Four Nations is:
Chris Bridge (Warrington Wolves, Waterhead)
Shaun Briscoe (Hull Kingston Rovers, Wigan St Patricks)
Sam Burgess (Bradford Bulls, Dewsbury Moor)
Garreth Carvell (Warrington Wolves, Stanningley)
Eorl Crabtree (Huddersfield Giants, Huddersfield YMCA)
Kyle Eastmond (St Helens, Oldham St Annes)
Gareth Ellis (Wests Tigers, Castleford Lock Lane)
Peter Fox (Hull Kingston Rovers, York Acorn)
James Graham (St Helens, Blackbrook)
Ryan Hall (Leeds, Oulton Raiders)
Danny McGuire (Leeds, East Leeds)
Scott Moore (Huddersfield Giants, Blackbrook)
Adrian Morley (Warrington Wolves, Eccles)
Richard Myler (Salford City Reds, Halton West Bank)
Sean O’Loughlin (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks)
Jamie Peacock (Leeds, Stanningley Rangers) (captain)
James Roby (St Helens, Blackbrook)
Michael Shenton (Castleford Tigers, Upton)
Kevin Sinfield (Leeds, Waterhead)
Lee Smith (Leeds, Drighlington)
Paul Sykes (Bradford Bulls, Thornhill Trojans)
Sam Tomkins (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks)
Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves, Normanton Knights)
Jon Wilkin (St Helens, East Hull)
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