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Some of England’s biggest names are set to descend upon Campbelltown Stadium in May, when they take on world No.5 Samoa under the mentorship of supercoach Wayne Bennett.
A plethora of English exiles have moved Down Under to play in the NRL for the 2017 season, however Bennett’s best options lie in the Super League, with some experienced English internationals excelling back home.
Two of those players are Castleford pair Zak Hardaker and Luke Gale, Hardaker in particular hoping to fight his way back into the side after sitting out of last year’s Four Nations. The duo have played an integral role in Castleford’s impressive early-season form, sharing 12 tries and 19 try assists between them.
Gale is likely to complement England veteran Gareth Widdop in the halves, the Dragons NRL stand-off finding form to propel his side to the top of the table and in doing so putting himself in early contention to become the first Englishman to be crowned the Dally M medallist.
Rounding out the spine for England will be Josh Hodgson, who has continued to find consistency for the Canberra Raiders at hooker.
The bench utility role remains very much contested between enigmatic half George Williams and 2014 Man of Steel Daryl Clark, each able to make a profound impact off the bench in the dying stages. Both have made a number of appearances in the wall of the white and are almost certain to be named as depth for the World Cup.
The Super League has seen some magical performances from a host of outside backs so far in 2017, with veterans Ryan Hall and Kallum Watkins continuing to excel for Leeds, while Jermaine McGillvary and Mark Percival have been equally impressive. There has been plenty of competition for spots in the backline, with former Bronco Greg Eden leading the league with a 14-try tally, as fellow ex-NRL star Joe Burgess has also found form.
Also performing exceptionally in the UK have been a number of new names yet to earn their first international caps, all vying for a place in Bennett’s wider playing squad come November. Among them is Castleford three-quarter Greg Minkin, rookie Liam Marshall, and try-scoring freaks Gareth O’Brien, Tom Lineham and Tom Johnstone.
James Graham and Sam Burgess will be among the first names on the team sheet. Meanwhile, star forwards Liam Farrell, Elliott Whitehead and the Burgess twins, George and Tom, are also near-guaranteed a place.
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It leaves two spots up for grabs in the side with big metre-maker Alex Walmsley in line to make his debut. Titans recruit Joe Greenwood, Scott Taylor and Mike McMeeken will also be in contention.
England’s best 17
1. Zak Hardaker (Castleford Tigers, five caps)
2. Jermaine McGillvary (Huddersfield Giants, five caps)
3. Kallum Watkins (Leeds Rhinos, 19 caps)
4. Mark Percival (St Helens, three caps)
5. Ryan Hall (Leeds Rhinos, 31 caps)
6. Gareth Widdop (St George Illawarra Dragons, 21 caps)
7. Luke Gale (Castleford Tigers, three caps)
8. Alex Walmsley (St Helens, yet to debut)
9. Josh Hodgson (Canberra Raiders, ten caps)
10. James Graham (Canterbury Bulldogs, 32 caps)
11. Liam Farrell (Wigan Warriors, ten caps)
12. Elliott Whitehead (Canberra Raiders, nine caps)
13. Sam Burgess (Captain; South Sydney Rabbitohs, 17 caps)
Interchange
14. George Williams (Wigan Warriors, five caps)
15. George Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs, 12 caps)
16. Tom Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs, 13 caps)
17. Joe Greenwood (Gold Coast Titans, yet to debut)
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