Warrior Brad is single-minded over World Cup

‘I’M HUNGRY FOR AN ENGLAND CALL-UP ON THE BIG STAGE’

WIGAN prop Brad Singleton has a clear message for Shaun Wane – he wants to return to an England shirt in this year’s World Cup.

The 28-year-old was England Academy captain as a teenager before playing for the second-string Knights against Samoa in 2013 (below).

But four years later he ran out for Ireland in the World Cup Down Under, an experience he “loved” after qualifying through his mum.

Rugby league’s international rules allow players to switch between the three tier one nations and other lower-ranked countries. And the Barrow-born frontrower says making Wane’s (below) squad is firmly on his to-do list for 2021.

Singleton said: “I don’t mind saying it out loud, I haven’t given up on an England call-up. It would be an honour for me. I know that entails a lot of hard work, being injury-free and being in great form at the end of the year.

“Hopefully the long pre-season that we’re having will create the foundation for that. It’s something that’s more for the end of the season, but there is an aim there and I am hungry.”

The other thing fuelling

Singleton’s appetite is going one step further than last year’s agonising Grand Final defeat by St Helens.

Jack Welsby’s last-second try after Tommy Makinson’s drop-goal attempt struck a post broke the Warriors’ hearts in a classic seasondecider at Hull FC.

Singleton believes that will spur Adrian Lam’s side to greater heights this year and vindicated his own decision to take up a short-term contract with Wigan after he was part of the Toronto squad left with no pay for half of 2020.

He said: “The deal I signed was just for two months and probably wasn’t great pay.

“But I knew I had the three years coming up, and what it did was help me gain

the trust of the players. I really embraced the Wigan culture and enjoyed it.

“And for me to get as far as we did and as close as we did to a Grand Final win was incredible. It was disappointing but it lays the perfect platform for success.

“I haven’t properly watched it back, but just the feeling from the game was that it was intense, it was a derby with emotion and both sides were hard to break down.

“It came down to one kick that ricocheted off the post to win it .

“I hope that it’s a game that’s replayed for years and years to come because it was a great one to be involved in. “Saints were worthy winners and they’ve a great bunch of lads there.

“But if you don’t win it, it always makes you hungrier the next time and I believe we’ve got the perfect ingredients for some success this season.”