O’Loughlin won’t skip huge Test
HAYE LOSES HIS COOL WITH BELLEW & FANS IN LATEST STORMY HEAD-TO-HEAD
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Sky Bet League Two Accrington v Wycombe, Blackpool v Barnet, Cambridge Utd v Doncaster, Cheltenham v Carlisle, Crawley v Exeter, Grimsby v Colchester, Hartlepool v Crewe, Plymouth v Notts Co, Portsmouth v Morecambe, Stevenage v Leyton Orient, Yeovil v Mansfield Vanarama National Bromley v Braintree, Dag & Red v Maidstone, Eastleigh v Aldershot, Guiseley v Barrow, Lincoln City v
York, Solihull v Torquay, Sutton v Boreham Wood, Tranmere v Forest Green, Woking v Dover Scottish Premiership Hamilton v Aberdeen Scottish Championship Ayr v Raith, Morton v Dunfermline Scottish League One Alloa v East Fife, Brechin v Queen’s Park Scottish League Two Clyde v Montrose, Cowdenbeath v Edinburgh, Stirling Albion v Elgin SEAN O’LOUGHLIN is desperate to be involved in England’s mid-season Test against Samoa – but has no idea if it will be as captain.
O’Loughlin skippered the national side to their 2015 series win over New Zealand, before missing last year’s Four Nations due to a lack of matches late in the campaign.
Coach Wayne Bennett is set to choose between O’Loughlin and last year’s captain Sam Burgess for the autumn’s World Cup.
But the Wigan looseforward insists that decision isn’t high on his agenda ahead of the Samoa clash in Sydney on May 6.
O’Loughlin said: “I genuinely haven’t even given it a second thought.
“If I am involved and am captain then brilliant, but if not then it wouldn’t take anything away from being back in the set-up and playing for England.
“Within the group there’s a real hunger to be part of it and be playing, even more so with the World Cup at the end of the year.
“Everyone will want to show what they can do in that Samoa game.”
O’Loughlin led his Wigan side to their recent World Club Challenge win over Cronulla, and believes that game and Warrington’s victory against Brisbane should give confidence to England.
He added: “We can’t judge our whole competition on that, but both teams went in with the attitude of playing the game how we want to.
“We were respectful of the opposition, but not in awe of them – we just gave it a good shot.
“With England we’ve showed over the last couple of years we’re more than capable of beating the top sides, it’s just having that confidence and belief to go out and do it.”