ADRIAN MORLEY believes England are in better shape than they could have hoped for as they finalise their preparations for the rugby league World Cup in Australia.
Despite the 2008 Super League season having claimed more injury victims than any before it, national coach Tony Smith is without just three players who might have been expected to be included in the 24-man squad he will announce this morning.
Morl
ey, who is close to making a full recovery from a troublesome stomach muscle injury, feels England have sufficient strength in depth to cover for the loss of Bradford forward Sam Burgess, Wigan captain Sean O'Loughlin and Hull winger Gareth Raynor.
"All the Leeds and St Helens players came through the grand final without injury and if everyone comes out fit from the match against Wales this Friday we should be 100 per cent," said the 31-year-old prop.
"We have been building up towards this tournament under Tony for 18 months now and we have every right to feel confident.
"We put in a good performance to beat France in Toulouse earlier this year and did exceptionally well to beat the Kiwis 3-0 in last year's Test series. We're as healthy and as confident as we could have hoped to be."
The core of the England squad is likely to come from grand finalists Leeds and St Helens, who together could contribute 15 players, including eight from the Super League champions if, as expected, Lee Smith is called up following his sterling effort at Old Trafford.
Smith is expected to be joined by Rob Purdham, the Cumbrian-born Harlequins captain whose form this season and ability to play at centre and in the back should see him get the nod ahead of St Helens veteran Lee Gilmour.
Elsewhere, Castleford Tigers could have two representatives in centre Michael Shenton and Joe Westerman, the Super League young player of the year whose involvement had been in doubt because of an ankle injury. At last week's Man of Steel dinner the 18-year-old loose forward revealed that he was close to a full recovery and had been training well.
With Rob Burrow the only recognised scrum-half available, Smith is expected to opt for versatile Wigan hooker Micky Higham ahead of Leeds No 9 Matt Diskin.
Most doubt surrounds the form of Hull's Warrington-bound prop Garreth Carvell and Stuart Fielden, who may not have done enough to merit a recall from the international wilderness.
England's possible World Cup squadBACKSRob Burrow (Leeds)
Mark Calderwood (Wigan)
Ade Gardner (St Helens)
Martin Gleeson (Warrington)
Danny McGuire (Leeds)
Leon Pryce (St Helens)
Keith Senior (Leeds)
Michael Shenton (Castleford)
Lee Smith (Leeds)
Paul Wellens (St Helens)
FORWARDSGarreth Carvell (Hull)
Gareth Ellis (Leeds)
Maurie Fa'asavalu (St Helens)
James Graham (St Helens)
Micky Higham (Wigan)
Gareth Hock (Wigan)
Jamie Jones-Buchanan (Leeds)
Adrian Morley (Warrington)
Jamie Peacock (Leeds, capt)
Rob Purdham (Harlequins)
James Roby (St Helens)
Kevin Sinfield (Leeds)
Jon Wilkin (St Helens)
Joe Westerman (Castleford)
The full article contains 513 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
