Ex-Leeds Rhinos winger Ryan Hall not worried about earning England recall

HE is England’s record try-scorer and one of their most experienced players but - after being left out of the latest squad - Ryan Hall maintains he has not even thought about playing at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.

The ex-Leeds Rhinos winger, back in Super League with Hull KR after two years at NRL giants Sydney Roosters, has amassed 36 tries in just 38 Tests since debuting against France in 2009.

He has been one of the first names on the teamsheet for a succession of England coaches - Tony Smith, Steve McNamara and Wayne Bennett - with the latter also selecting him for Great Britain in 2019.

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However, Shaun Wane, who took over England at the start of last year, has not included the 33-year-old in any of his squad selections so far.

Admittedly, the national side did not even get to play last year due to Covid while Hall has endured an injury-ravaged spell Down Under with two serious knee injuries.

But he is fully fit now and looking forward to getting started with Rovers.

Asked if he hoped to eventually feature in the World Cup - hosted predominantly in the north of England at the end of this season - Hall told The Yorkshire Post: “Do you know what, I’ve not thought about it.

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“I’ve never started a season thinking I’m going to play for the England team at the end of the season.

England's Ryan Hall scores against New Zealand in Denver in 2018. (ALLAN MCKENZIE/SWPIX)England's Ryan Hall scores against New Zealand in Denver in 2018. (ALLAN MCKENZIE/SWPIX)
England's Ryan Hall scores against New Zealand in Denver in 2018. (ALLAN MCKENZIE/SWPIX)

“Even in a World Cup year - and I’ve played in two World Cups in ‘13 and ‘17 - I never started the year thinking ‘I can’t wait for England’ or ‘I need to play well to get picked for England.’

“I’ve just taken every game as it comes and luckily I’ve been selected. I’m not even going to think about it.

“If my services are required I’ll do my best for the team as always but I’m certainly not thinking about that.”

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Granted, Wane is not short of options out wide: included in his latest selection are 2018 Golden Boot winner Tommy Makinson, Huddersfield Giants’ Jermaine McGillvary - a star of the 2017 World Cup - Wakefield Trinity’s Tom Johnstone plus the uncapped duo of Leeds’ 2020 Super League top try-scorer Ash Handley (Hall’s replacement at Headingley) and Wigan Warriors’ Dom Manfredi.

Ryan Hall in training with Hull KR (CREDIT: HULL KR)Ryan Hall in training with Hull KR (CREDIT: HULL KR)
Ryan Hall in training with Hull KR (CREDIT: HULL KR)

Still, if World Cup finalist Hall can recapture the prolific form for the Robins that saw him prove such a star with Rhinos, where he scored 232 tries in 327 games, it will be hard for Wane to not consider him.

The Yorkshireman is now in his second week of pre-season training with KR and is starting to get used to the British weather once more.

“People say you’re used to it but when you spend two years in Australia you do get acclimated to what it’s like over there,”said Hall.

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“It was a bit of a shock to the system when I came back and it was signal digits in terms of temperature!

England's Ryan Hall in action against Tonga in Auckland in the 2017 World Cup semi-final. (Andrew Cornaga/SWpix.com/PhotosportNZ)England's Ryan Hall in action against Tonga in Auckland in the 2017 World Cup semi-final. (Andrew Cornaga/SWpix.com/PhotosportNZ)
England's Ryan Hall in action against Tonga in Auckland in the 2017 World Cup semi-final. (Andrew Cornaga/SWpix.com/PhotosportNZ)

“I’m enjoying it, though, and it’s good to get going again.”

Meanwhile, he has paid tribute to 'Rocky' Whitehead, the legendary coach at his Leeds-based junior club Oulton Raiders who sadly died from Covid-19 just after Christmas.

“I never got coached by him but he has certainly left an imprint on me just being at Oulton,” said Hall, about the charismatic Whitehead whose famous Rocky’s Giants got children as young as three - including Handley - playing the sport.

“I was an ‘honorary’ Rocky’s Giant as I started later.

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“But I remember being in the clubhouse from the ages that I did play and obviously he was involved in the first-team on matchdays when I played for Oulton so I got to know him well.

“He was just such a character. It’s such a tragic loss for Pebbsy (son Chris) and the family but the wider family of rugby league as I think everyone knew Rocky and everyone who ever met him will remember him for the good.”

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