England 19-man squad for World Cup opener against Samoa as Shaun Wane makes big call

The 6ft 6in Yorkshireman has been preferred to Hull KR veteran Ryan Hall, England’s record tryscorer, after making a big impression in last Friday’s warm-up clash with Fiji.

The 21-year-old Huddersfield Giants academy product, who scored one try and created two more in England’s 50-0 win, was named in coach Shaun Wane’s 19-man squad, which contains just one other specialist winger in St Helens’ Tommy Makinson.

Wane has included three half-backs and the absence of hooker Andy Ackers suggests that George Williams, Marc Sneyd and Jack Welsby will all feature.

Huddersfield veteran Chris Hill has made the cut but may yet miss out when Wane shows his full hand on Saturday after seemingly being left in a straight shootout with Mike Cooper.

Leeds Rhinos prop Mikolaj Oledzki has not been included after ending the season with a shoulder issue, while Kai Pearce-Paul has been preferred to Joe Batchelor and fellow second-rower John Bateman completes his suspension.

Wigan Warriors starlet Pearce-Paul is one of five uncapped players, alongside Young, Sneyd, Victor Radley and Herbie Farnworth.

Hill, Kallum Watkins, Tom Burgess and Elliott Whitehead are the four survivors from the team that lost to Australia in the 2017 World Cup final.

“It was disappointing that night but this is a different group and we believe we can go all the way,” said Whitehead.

“It’s a tough task against Samoa but we know what this group is capable of.

“It will be a great atmosphere up at St James’ and two great teams going up against each other, it should be a good spectacle to start the World Cup.

“If there’s 45,000 there, we know 44,500 are cheering for England.”

England 19-man squad: S Tomkins (Catalans, captain), T Makinson (St Helens), K Watkins (Salford), H Farnworth (Brisbane), J Welsby (St Helens), G Williams (Warrington), T Burgess (South Sydney), M McIlorum (Catalans), L Thompson (Canterbury), E Whitehead (Canberra), V Radley (Sydney), D Young (Newcastle Knights), M Knowles (St Helens), M Lees (St Helens), M Cooper (Wigan), C Hill (Huddersfield), M McMeeken (Catalans Dragons), M Sneyd (Salford), K Pearce-Paul (Wigan).