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Smith wields axe to build a brighter future for England
IT IS not quite tearing the page out and starting again but England coach Tony Smith has shown a savage streak in naming his squad for the Gillette Four Nations.
Only one of the entire back division which floundered against New Zealand in last year's World Cup semi-final even makes the 24-man selection let alone has a prospect of starting against France next week.
Leeds Rhinos' Danny McGuire avoids the cull but jettisoned completely are long-time experienced internationals St Helens pair Leon Pryce and Paul Wellens, as well as club-mate Ade Gardner, and, more surprisingly, McGuire's Rhinos' half-back partner Rob Burrow whose joy at achieving a third successive Grand Final success at the weekend quickly turned to disappointment yesterday.
More than half the World Cup squad is axed in total with just 11 survivors and the underlying message is clear – England will not let their disaster Down Under fester.
In omitting Burrow, Smith has shown that Richie Myler, who debuted against France in June and has since made a high-profile 200,000 switch from Salford City Reds to Warrington Wolves, is high in his thoughts.
He will take the No 7 jersey against Wales in the Gillette Fusion International on Saturday and, barring a meltdown of catastrophic proportions, is set to do likewise for the Four Nations opener with France in Doncaster.
There is far more emphasis on youth with all three short-listed for Super League's Young Player of the Year – Myler, St Helens' Kyle Eastmond and the eventual winner Wigan's Sam Tomkins – earning an opportunity.
"It's exciting," admitted Smith, at the prospect of working with the lively trio. "We've some great headaches ahead for sure as coaching staff.
"They're all typical little cheeky half-backs. You want them full of confidence like that. They've all got their own attributes but all have good pace and are dangerous. The problem will be getting them all in, but each brings something."
Fourteen of the 17 players on duty for the mid-season international against France have been retained. When asked at the time how many would play if he then had to pick a side to face Australia, Smith insisted the majority. Many did not believe he was serious and the old brigade would be wheeled out again this autumn.
But, with his ruthless action yesterday, the England coach has shown there was no kidology.
"I think it's time to put some fresh faces in," he said.
"We've got some young people coming through and they deserve a chance.
"There is only one way to gain experience and that's by picking them. We picked a lot of fresh faces for the mid-year game and it gave us a fresh feel. They responded well.
"This series is about now, but it's also about the future and we want to build for the future. We feel that they're ready now.""
Five of Leeds's Grand Final winners are selected with man-of-the-match Kevin Sinfield recalled. There is no place for in-form Keith Senior who, along with Burrow, Wellens, Gardner, Martin Gleeson and Mark Calderwood made up that ditched backline in Brisbane.
The veteran Rhinos centre offered to come out of international retirement last week.
Smith said: "I've heard from the press he was available, but I haven't heard a thing from Keith.
"If players want to make themselves available or unavailable they need to do it face to face or over the phone. Sending messages through the press is not a great way to communicate."
Such is the dearth of centres though – Warrington's Chris Bridge is a surprise as the third uncapped player with Eastmond and Tomkins – the England chief did not think twice about selecting Rhinos' Lee Smith, who scored twice at Old Trafford on Saturday but is imminently due to switch codes by joining Wasps in the Guinness Premiership.
Hull KR's Shaun Briscoe is expected to replace Wellens as England's first choice full-back.
He will not play in Bridgend as he rests a shoulder injury. Huddersfield prop Eorl Crabtree is recovering from keyhole knee surgery, but both should be fit for the Four Nations.
Giants team-mate Scott Moore is picked while Hull KR winger Peter Fox and Castleford Tigers centre Michael Shenton, both so unfortunate to miss out on World Cup selection, are also included along with Bradford Bulls' Sam Burgess and Paul Sykes.
Hull FC's young winger Tom Briscoe, who sat out four-and-a-half months of the season due to an ankle injury, will make his England debut against Wales and is on stand-by for the Four Nations.
Club colleague Danny Tickle is also in the reckoning for Bridgend but not the main event.
How they line-up
England's 24-man squad for the Gillette Four Nations series:
C Bridge (Warrington),S Briscoe (Hull KR), S Burgess (Bradford), G Carvell (Warrington), E Crabtree (Huddersfield), K Eastmond (St Helens), G Ellis (Wests Tigers), P Fox (Hull KR), J Graham (St Helens), R Hall (Leeds), D McGuire (Leeds), S Moore (Huddersfield), A Morley (Warrington), R Myler (Salford), S O'Loughlin (Wigan), J Peacock (Leeds, capt), J Roby (St Helens), M Shenton (Castleford), K Sinfield (Leeds), L Smith (Leeds), P Sykes (Bradford), S Tomkins (Wigan), B Westwood (Warrington), J Wilkin (St Helens).
England's 20-man squad for the Gillette Fusion international against Wales at The Brewery Field, Bridgend, on Saturday:
C Bridge (Warrington), T Briscoe (Hull), S Burgess (Bradford), G Carvell (Warrington), T Clubb (Harlequins), G Ellis (Wests Tigers), P Fox (Hull KR), B Harrison (Warrington), M Higham (Warrington), L McCarthy-Scarsbrook (Harlequins), S Moore (Huddersfield), A Morley (Warrington), R Myler (Salford), S O'Loughlin (Wigan), S Ratchford (Salford), M Shenton (Castleford), P Sykes (Bradford), D Tickle (Hull), S Tomkins (Wigan), B Westwood (Warrington).
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