Jake Connor omitted from England Rugby League World Cup squad, McDermott defends selection
Jake Connor was omitted from England’s Rugby League World Cup squad announced on 5 October 2026, a decision defended by head coach Brian McDermott. McDermott said the players chosen are those he believes best fit his gameplan to compete with the top nations.
Connor, a half-back for Leeds Rhinos, has been a central talking point after being left out of a second successive major England selection; there are also no players from new Super League champions Wakefield in the squad. He was previously overlooked by Shaun Wane for last autumn’s Ashes despite winning the Super League’s Man of Steel award, and England lost that Ashes series 3-0 following a run of limited attacking displays. Connor has been in impressive form for Leeds this year but again missed out on selection.
McDermott said he wants England to play “with a point of difference” rather than doing “the usual things,” and explained Connor’s omission in those terms. “We can’t do the usual things,” he said. “We’ve got to play with a point of difference. I’ve got a squad of players of how I want England to play. Jake Connor missed out on selection by a small margin, it came down to who I think can best stick to the gameplan.”
The head coach opted for Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis over Connor and defended that choice despite Lewis’s inconsistent 2026. Lewis was described as one of Super League’s best players in recent seasons but had a disappointing year punctured by off-colour performances and disciplinary problems. McDermott pointed to Lewis’s prior achievements, saying: “Mikey still won a World Club Challenge with Hull KR and guided them to a cup final this year. I get he wasn’t in the best of shape in the back of the year and incurred a couple of bans, but I’ll point everyone to the attack plan and the game model I think England needs to have to compete with the bigger nations.”
Selected players include Matty Ashton, AJ Brimson, Ben Currie, Zach Eckersley, Herbie Farnworth, Ethan Havard, Max King, Morgan Knowles, Mikey Lewis, Jez Litten, Junior Nsemba, Brad O’Neill, Kai Pearce-Paul, Victor Radley, Hugo Savala, Harry Smith, Morgan Smithies, Luke Thompson, Sam Walters, Ben Talty, Jack Welsby, George Williams and Dom Young.
McDermott said he had been hindered by multiple withdrawals, notably from Wakefield, and named four Wakefield players who would have travelled: Tom Johnstone, Jake Trueman, Mike McMeeken and Caleb Hamlin-Uele, all of whom have opted for post-season surgeries. “I’m really disappointed, it’s a real shame the Wakefield boys aren’t available,” he said. There are further absences in the backline with Leeds’s Ash Handley and Wigan’s Jake Wardle unavailable.
The vacancies have produced unexpected selections among Australian-based players, including Brisbane Broncos forward Ben Talty and Sydney Roosters utility Hugo Savala, who are likely to start at centre against Tonga in England’s opening game in Perth on 17 October. The squad contains a heavy NRL influence, with 10 players based in Australia, and includes debutant Max King, born in Huddersfield but playing for Canterbury Bulldogs. Herbie Farnworth, described in the squad announcement as “arguably the best centre in the world,” was also included and is listed as a key figure for England’s group-stage prospects.
England begin their group campaign against Tonga in Perth on 17 October, play France the following week and then face Papua New Guinea in Wollongong in a fixture described as potentially decisive for whether they make the semi-finals or face an early exit.