Castleford-born Reed snubs Australians for England chance

He has had supreme legends from Steve ‘The Pearl’ Renouf to Alfie Langer singing his praises.

He has been tipped to be the next great Queensland and Australia centre, already compared to the genius Gene Miles.

He has even somehow made sure Brisbane Broncos have not missed the quality of the incomparable Greg Inglis.

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However, amid all the plaudits and back-slapping that have come his way in a season where he is favourite to be tipped NRL’s Rookie of the Year, it seems the one person Jack Reed has listened to most is England coach Steve McNamara.

Some people will ask ‘who IS Jack Reed?’

For those who have not currently got access to footage of the Australian game, he is the highly-rated 23-year-old centre who has taken the NRL by storm.

He also hails from Castleford. Hence McNamara’s interest.

The RFL yesterday announced that Reed – who was working as a bricklayer a little over a year ago – had decided to pledge his allegiance to the country of his birth and will figure in England’s plans for the 2011 Four Nations.

It does not matter that he doesn’t have a Cas accent anymore – he barely had an accent of any sort to start with given he was barely two-years-old when his family emigrated Down Under.

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There is no hint of his ancestry when he speaks now and the flame-haired Reed sounds as Australian as a can of Castlemaine XXXX.

However, given the long-running dearth of English centre talent here, there will be no complaints if he gets the nod this autumn.

In fact, it seems certain Reed – nicknamed ‘Jumping Jack’ given his robust and direct style – will be involved.

In a remarkable rise to fame, after being continually shunned by Canberra Raiders where he played for their feeder club, his career has catapulted of late.

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Reed earned a shot at Brisbane’s second string North Devils and, when the aforementioned Inglis controversially turned his back on the Queenslanders for South Sydney in pre-season, an unexpected vacancy appeared in the Broncos’ three-quarter line.

He grasped it and has swiftly emerged as one of the most potent centres in the competition, playing in every game, scoring 12 tries and dominating such illustrious rivals as Brent Tate and Jamal Idris.

Reed, who will play for Brisbane in this weekend’s NRL play-off semi-final against St George Illawarra Dragons, had been coveted by the Australian selectors, eager to see him eventually wear the prestigious Green and Gold jersey.

He was also certain to be included in Queensland’s upcoming emerging Origin squad.

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However, in regular dialogue with McNamara since mid-summer, he has expressed a desire to play for England and ignore his adopted country’s advances, following – if in slightly different circumstances – Gareth Widdop, the Halifax-raised Melbourne full-back who debuted for England last season.

Widdop, meanwhile, has enjoyed a seminal season himself, converting into a stand-off at Storm to supply the bullets for the man who was preventing his development at No 1, Billy Slater.

The talented youngster failed to deliver in last season’s Four Nations, little surprise given he had still only played a handful of NRL games, but this year’s experience will have served him well and McNamara is sure to be thinking about using him at six in this year’s tournament.

With Reed potentially busting holes out wide, and Wigan full-back Sam Tomkins hopefully transferring his Super League quality to the biggest stage, England may have an unlikely triumvirate to call upon.

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It is unfair to pin too many hopes on such a callow performer as Reed but at least England now have an added option.

And his decision is a significant victory over the Aussies before the first ball has been kicked.