Castleford Tigers captain Paul McShane on his form, England nerves and repaying Shaun Wane's faith

But he was pacing the room as he awaited a call from Shaun Wane at the start of this week.

Although he started Wane’s first two games as England head coach in 2021, McShane was fearing for his place after what he regards as an indifferent start to this season.

When McShane’s phone eventually rang, Wane delivered the news that the Castleford captain was in his squad to face the Combined Nations All Stars in Warrington tomorrow evening.

“I was nervous getting the call and once I got it I was relieved and buzzing,” McShane told The Yorkshire Post.

“I’m just grateful that I get the opportunity because we’ve got a fair few decent nines in the comp at the minute.

“My form has been steady. I had a slow start after missing the majority of pre-season but I feel as though I’m starting to find my feet.

“Balancing playing with my captaincy role as well might have taken a bit of a toll at the start whereas now I’m enjoying that.”

In his 14th season as a professional, the 32-year-old was surprised to find himself playing catch-up in the early part of the year.

“In my own head, I was thinking I should be alright and that I know what I’m doing rugby-wise,” added McShane.

“But how fast and intense the game is, it definitely took some time to get up to speed.

“Now I’ve got no excuses and I just need to kick on. I need to do the best I can for Cas to get us into the play-offs. That’s something we’ve got a good chance of doing.

“But to do that, I need to be playing my best football. I’ll be making sure I’m doing that to get Cas in there and hopefully that will get me in the World Cup squad.”

The clash with an All Stars team featuring Kruise Leeming and Daryl Clark represents an audition for McShane in England’s penultimate game before the autumn tournament.

But the Leeds-born rake is not putting too much pressure on himself as he prepares to face off against his rivals for a World Cup spot.

“You just have to worry about your own role and what you can do to make your team better,” said McShane, who will share hooker duties with Michael McIlorum at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

“If I do that and am playing well, hopefully I can force my way in there come the end of the season.

“At the end of the day, all four players want to be in that squad at the end of the year. It’s definitely going to push you to be your best to get in there.”

Since taking the reins at the start of 2020, Wane has made it clear that age is no barrier for World Cup hopefuls.

The former Wigan Warriors boss has been as good as his word, picking 34-year-olds McIlorum and Ryan Hall in his latest squad, as well as Sam Tomkins, Mike Cooper and Stefan Ratchford - all 33.

For McShane, himself in the over-30 club, this weekend’s game is an opportunity to give Wane a return on his investment.

“Not just for this one but last year as well,” said McShane.

“I’d never been involved in any before so to get the opportunity at 32, 100 per cent I want to repay the faith Waney has shown in me.”

The mid-season fixture has its detractors with some fans viewing it as nothing more than an exhibition match.

But lining up for the national team is a special occasion for McShane regardless of the opposition.

“We’re getting to represent England so no matter when and who you’re playing, you’re playing for your country with pride and passion,” he said.

“You just want to go out there and do your best for the badge.”

A World Cup spot is McShane’s to lose with the tournament now less than four months away.

His first objective is to guide Castleford through the final 12 regular-season games and into the Super League play-offs - but the World Cup will never be far from his thoughts.

In the twilight of his career, McShane is viewing this as his last chance to realise a childhood dream.

“It would be absolutely massive,” he said.

“I probably thought internationals had gone away from me a couple of years ago with me hitting 30 and not experiencing it yet, but Waney said if you’re playing well, you’ll get a chance no matter what age you are.

“For me, it’s now or never and I definitely want to be a part of it.”