Rugby League World Cup: Jake Connor left out of England’s 23-man squad

Jake Connor stays at home. The reigning Man of Steel finished the season with 43 assists, the most in Super League. His name is missing from the 23 that Brian McDermott announced on Monday for the Rugby League World Cup. The tournament runs through October and November, in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. His omission is the surprise of the squad.

Mikey Lewis of Hull KR is the man preferred, on the back of 17 tries and 14 assists this season. On Connor’s omission, McDermott said nothing; his only explanation was the method. “We have selected the squad after a thorough and deliberate process,” he said, describing a “decentralised” preparation that allowed work with each player well before camp.

Five uncapped players, seven from Wigan

George Williams of Warrington Wolves keeps the captaincy after leading his club to the Super League Grand Final. Wigan Warriors send seven players, and five members of the group are uncapped: Hugo Savala, Zach Eckersley, Max King, Ben Talty and Sam Walters. The Australian clubs supply the rest of the spine:

• Victor Radley, who started Sunday’s Grand Final win for the Sydney Roosters, along with his team-mate Hugo Savala;
• Herbie Farnworth of the Dolphins, named best centre at the Dally M awards;
• Dom Young, AJ Brimson, Kai Pearce-Paul and Morgan Smithies, four more men from the NRL.

Tom Johnstone and Caleb Hamlin-Uele of Wakefield Trinity withdrew from the process through injury, and Jake Trueman is out injured as well.

The coach defended him in April

Connor, 31, had already missed last autumn’s home Ashes series against Australia, lost 3-0 under Shaun Wane. Wane has since left, and McDermott, a former Leeds Rhinos coach, now leads England through the World Cup. In April, McDermott called the narrative around the player “tremendously unfair”: “What nobody can argue is that he’s a tremendous player. He’s a game-breaker.” On Monday, no individual reason came with the omission.

Three times a finalist, in 1975, 1995 and 2017, and beaten at home by Samoa in the 2021 semi-final, England open against Tonga at HBF Park, Perth on Saturday 17 October. France follow on the 24th, then Papua New Guinea. Jake Connor will watch it all from Leeds.