Mikey Lewis omitted from England matchday squad for World Cup opener in Perth
Mikey Lewis has been omitted from England's matchday squad for their Rugby League World Cup opening fixture against Tonga in Perth on Saturday, with Harry Smith and captain George Williams named as the half-back pairing for the game.
Lewis, who won a place in England's tournament squad ahead of 2025 Super League Man Of Steel Jake Connor, will not even feature on the bench despite being one of the three half-back options selected by head coach Brian McDermott. The Hull KR player, described in the selection notes as having endured an inconsistent year, was retained in the wider squad but will be listed among three non-playing reserves alongside Ben Currie and Ben Talty. McDermott succeeded Shaun Wane in April and made further selection decisions for the opening matchday.
England's named starting line-up for the Tonga game reads: AJ Brimson, Dom Young, Hugo Savala, Herbie Farnworth, Zach Eckersley, George Williams, Harry Smith, Max King, Brad O'Neill, Morgan Knowles, Junior Nsemba, Kai Pearce-Paul and Victor Radley. The interchange players are Jez Litten, Luke Thompson, Ethan Havard, Sam Walters, Jack Welsby and Matty Ashton. Those selections form England's matchday 17 for the World Cup opener in Perth.
McDermott opted for AJ Brimson at full-back ahead of Jack Welsby for the first game, and said he wanted to make use of heritage players to build his squad. Brimson, who is Australia-born, made his England debut in last year's Ashes series against the Kangaroos. The squad includes four players qualifying through heritage rules, and features England debutant Max King and fellow debutant Hugo Savala; King was born in Huddersfield while his Australian father David was a player there, and Savala was part of the Sydney Roosters' NRL Grand Final-winning squad.
All of the men's and women's teams for the first round of matches between Thursday and Sunday were announced on Tuesday at 06:00 BST. England women's coach Stu Barrow named his side for their opening fixture against Wales on Saturday in Perth, with Jasmin Strange and Connie Boyd set to make their international debuts and uncapped Hope Millard named among the interchanges. The England women's starting line-up is Fran Goldthorp, Anna Davies, Georgia Wilson, Connie Boyd, Amelia Brown, Isabel Rowe, Georgia Roche, Mary Coleman, Keara Bennett, Hollie-Mae Dodd, Jasmin Strange, Eva Hunter and Megan Williams. The women's interchange players are Jodie Cunningham, Vicky Whitfield, Jenna Foubister and Hope Millard.
England's group schedule continues after the Tonga match, with a game against France in Perth on 24 October and a fixture versus Papua New Guinea in Wollongong on 30 October.