Monday 25 March 2019 12:42, UK
Warrington duo Josh Charnley and Jack Hughes have been included in a 30-man England performance squad (EPS) named by head coach Wayne Bennett.
Charnley returns to the international set-up for the first time since his return from rugby union in March 2018, having won eight England caps from 2012-14 and played in the 2013 World Cup.
The 27-year-old earns his place after scoring 31 tries in 34 appearances for the Wolves.
Hughes has been rewarded for his leadership on the England Knights tour of Papua New Guinea last autumn from which Hull KR prop Robbie Mulhern is also promoted.
St Helens and Warrington, the top two in Super League, each have six players in the squad, while Castleford's impressive early-season form has also been recognised with the inclusion of four players.
Stand-off Jake Trueman, the 20-year-old reigning Super League young player of the year, and uncapped prop Liam Watts join Castleford scrum-half Luke Gale, who is currently sidelined with an Achilles injury, and loose forward Adam Milner in Bennett's Super League-based squad.
Ben Currie, Kallum Watkins and Alex Walmsley are also named after recovering from long-term injuries that ruled them out of last autumn's Test series victory over New Zealand.
"Jack Hughes is one of a few players who have come up into the EPS from the Knights squads that were picked last year, which is good to see," said Bennett, who will also take charge of the reformed Great Britain team.
"When you think of the number of guys who are playing in the NRL so weren't considered for this squad, it's a good pool of players we're building up - both for the Great Britain tour this autumn and looking further ahead towards the 2021 World Cup."
Warrington's Mike Cooper and Castleford forward Mike McMeeken have been dropped from the EPS Bennett named last July, while John Bateman and Ryan Hall automatically drop out after moving to the NRL.
The EPS will meet up in late April, when they will be joined by the Knights performance squad which is named on Tuesday.
There is no mid-season international but Bennett, who now coaches South Sydney, will fly over for the second meeting in June.
There will be further get-togethers in August and September ahead of the League Lions tour of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea this autumn and England's participation in the World Cup Nines in Sydney on October 18-19.
"Even in a year when we don't have a mid-season game, it's important for us to name this squad - and also the Knights squad - early in the season," added Bennett.
"We had a good year in 2018 with four wins out of five, three of them against the Kiwis, and I know the guys will be looking forward to getting together again in April - and I'm looking forward to getting across there in June."
England elite performance squad:
Gale, Milner, Trueman, Watts, (all Castleford), S Tomkins (Catalans Dragons), McGillvary (Huddersfield), Connor, J Shaul, S Taylor (all Hull FC), R Mulhern (Hull KR), S Ward, K Watkins (both Leeds), J Lomax, T Makinson, M Percival, J Roby, L Thompson, A Walmsley (all St Helens), T Johnstone, R Lyne (both Wakefield), J Charnley, D Clark, B Currie, C Hill, J Hughes, S Ratchford (all Warrington), O Gildart, J Greenwood, S O'Loughlin, G Williams (all Wigan).
