England selection of Rhinos answers critics – McDermott

Leeds Rhinos coach Brian McDermott has urged the faltering club’s detractors to show the same faith as England counterpart Steve McNamara.

He yesterday named six Leeds players – more than any other Super League outfit – in his 21-man squad to face the Exiles and a further four for the England Knights.

The Super League champions head to Warrington Wolves tonight under mounting pressure, having fallen to ninth on the back of an embarrassing 50-8 home defeat to leaders Wigan Warriors.

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That prompted Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington to publicly question whether a squad that has won four of the last five titles may soon need revamping.

The inclusion of Jamie Peacock, Kevin Sinfield, Rob Burrow, Ryan Hall, Jamie Jones-Buchanan plus the uncapped Carl Ablett in McNamara’s England plans has, then, perhaps served as a welcome boost.

McDermott said: “I’m glad Steve has shown a loyalty to a group of blokes that have been, and were, playing really well. It’s recognition of these fellas’ capabilities and, while some form is probably not there, they are more than capable. Steve recognises that.”

On Hetherington’s comments, he added: “Without trying to decipher what Gary has said – and I’m disappointed he’s had to make that statement – I think one of his messages is we’ve got a long way to go yet and let’s reserve judgment until the end of the year.”

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Leeds brilliantly rallied from such depths last season to finish fifth and win the Grand Final but the task looks far greater now.

McNamara, meanwhile, has left out veteran 50-cap prop Adrian Morley for the International Origin Series opener on June 16.

Notable inclusions, though, are in-form Hull FC second-row Danny Tickle and Leeds-born Warrington centre Ryan Atkins, neither of whom were in the original England Elite Training Squad.

Huddersfield Giants scrum-half Danny Brough has also got the nod and is one of four uncapped players along with Ablett, Wigan winger Josh Charnley and his club colleague Lee Mossop.

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Wigan’s Gareth Hock makes his return following a two-year drugs ban but Ian Henderson, whose ETS inclusion caused such a furore given he was raised in Australia, has been overlooked, as have a total of 12 players from that squad.

Of those, Leeds duo Zak Hardaker and Ben Jones-Bishop plus St Helens’ Jonny Lomax are in the Knights’ squad to face Ireland while Rhinos’ Danny McGuire and Kallum Watkins, Hull FC’s Kirk Yeaman and Warrington’s Ben Westwood are out injured.

England squad v Exiles: Ablett, Burrow, Hall, Jones-Buchanan, Peacock, Sinfield (all Leeds), Charnley, Hock, Mossop, O’Loughlin, Tomkins (all Wigan), Brough, Crabtree, Cudjoe (all Huddersfield), Briscoe, Tickle (both Hull FC), Roby, Wilkin (both St Helens), Atkins, Carvell (both Warrington) Chase (Castleford).

England Knights v Ireland: Clarkson, Hardaker, Jones-Bishop, Lunt (all Leeds), Clough, Flanagan, Gaskell, Lomax, Wheeler (all St Helens), Cooper, Evans, Ratchford, Riley (all Warrington), Ferguson, McGillvary, Patrick (all Huddersfield), Josh Hodgson, Taylor, Watts (all Hull KR), Broughton, Smith (both Salford), Houghton (Hull FC), Farrell (Wigan).