Six potential new England caps as Wayne Bennett looks to his Knights for France

HULL KR prop Robbie Mulhern, Hull FC full-back Jamie Shaul, Castleford Tigers second-row Oli Holmes plus the Leeds Rhinos duo of Liam Sutcliffe and Ash Handley could all make their England debut against France on Wednesday after being drafted into the senior squad.
By The Newsroom
Published 14th Oct 2018, 16:54 BST
Updated 14th Oct 2018, 18:03 BST
Leeds Rhinos trio Liam Sutcliffe, Richie Myler and Ash Handley after their England call-ups today.Leeds Rhinos trio Liam Sutcliffe, Richie Myler and Ash Handley after their England call-ups today.
Leeds Rhinos trio Liam Sutcliffe, Richie Myler and Ash Handley after their England call-ups today.

Along with uncapped Widnes Vikings back-row Matt Whitley, they have all been called up from the England Knights but will rejoin that group to fly out to Australia on Thursday ahead of a training camp in Brisbane and two internationals against Papua New Guinea.

Leeds scrum-half Richie Myler has also been added to Wayne Bennett’s squad for the game against France and forthcoming series versus New Zealand as a replacement for Castleford’s Luke Gale who pulled out last week due to injury.

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Myler, 28, has not played for his country since 2012 but has impressed for a struggling Rhinos side in his first season there since joining from Catalans Dragons.

Hull KR's Robbie Mulhern (SWPix)Hull KR's Robbie Mulhern (SWPix)
Hull KR's Robbie Mulhern (SWPix)

He trained with England in Manchester today, and will be in contention for the one-off Test against France at Leigh Sports Village – which is followed by a three-Test series against the Kiwis.

Bennett has made the call-ups from the Knights because of the involvement of nine of England’s squad in Saturday’s Betfred Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford between Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves.

Wigan have six players - England captain Sean O’Loughlin, John Bateman, Oliver Gildart, Joe Greenwood, Sam Tomkins and George Williams - while Warrington trio Daryl Clark, Chris Hill and Stefan Ratchford are also given time off following their Old Trafford exploits.

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They will rejoin the England camp following the France Test.

Castleford Tigers' Oli Holmes (SWPix)Castleford Tigers' Oli Holmes (SWPix)
Castleford Tigers' Oli Holmes (SWPix)

Revised England and England Knights squads

England: Bateman (Wigan), G Burgess (South Sydney), T Burgess (South Sydney), Clark (Warrington), Connor (Hull FC), Gildart (Wigan), Graham (St George Illawarra), Greenwood (Wigan), Hill (Warrington), Hodgson (Canberra), Johnstone (Wakefield), Lomax (St Helens), Lyne (Wakefield), McGillvary (Huddersfield), Makinson (St Helens), Milner (Castleford), Myler (Leeds), O’Loughlin (Wigan), Percival (St Helens), Ratchford (Warrington), Thompson (St Helens), Tomkins (Wigan), Whitehead (Canberra), Williams (Wigan).

England Knights: Hughes (Warrington, captain), Atkin (Hull KR), Batchelor (Wakefield), Davies (Wigan), Evalds (Salford), Fash (Hull FC), Hadley (Hull FC), Handley (Leeds), Holmes (Castleford), T King (Warrington), Leeming (Huddersfield), Lees (St Helens), Lineham (Warrington), Livett (Warrington), Mulhern (Hull KR), Oledzki (Leeds), Philbin (Warrington), Powell (Wigan), Shaul (Hull FC), Sutcliffe (Leeds), J Walker (Leeds), D Walker (Widnes), Whitley (Widnes).

England players not available for France game because of involvement in Super League Grand Final: Bateman, Gildart, Greenwood, O’Loughlin, Tomkins, Williams (all Wigan); Clark, Hill, Ratchford (all Warrington).

England Knights players called into England squad for France game: Handley (Leeds), Holmes (Castleford), Mulhern (Hull KR), Shaul (Hull FC), Sutcliffe (Leeds), Whitley (Widnes).

Related topics:Richie MylerEnglandHull FCAsh HandleyLeedsWigan Warriors