TOM JOINS THE ELITE
Wayne calls on winger
TOM JOHNSTONE has been rewarded for his eye-catching start to the Super League season.
The Wakefield winger, who has been on England’s radar since bursting on to the scene in 2016, has been handed a first call-up to the country’s 21-man elite performance squad.
A serious knee ligament injury last April ruled Johnstone out of the reckoning for Wayne Bennett’s World Cup side.
But the 22-year-old has made ® an impressive comeback, grabbing a hat-trick of tries in Trinity’s opening match of the season.
Johnstone is the only new face in the squad, which will meet at regular intervals ahead of the Test against New Zealand in Denver on June 23 and the autumn series against the Kiwis.
Leeds second-rower Stevie Ward, who was ruled out of the World Cup due to shoulder surgery, edges closer to making his England debut with his inclusion and there is a recall for Warrington hooker Daryl Clark.
Winger Tom Makinson, who is also uncapped, is one of five representatives from Super League leaders St Helens.
“The elite performance squad sessions in 2017 proved invaluable for the players in the build-up to the World Cup,” said Bennett.
“It’s important that we do all we can to enable them to spend quality time together in an international environment.
Bouncing
“While those selected for both performance squads have put themselves in a good place to be considered for selection, we are always looking at all players in both the Super League and NRL and the door is never shut on any player who impresses.” LEEDS return to Headingley to host Hull tonight despite a £40m redevelopment plan still going on.
A new-look South Stand and a temporary North Stand will be opened for the first time.
The ground will not be completed until later this year, but Rhinos full-back Ashton Golding thinks it will be bouncing and said: “You could take all the Leeds fans and put them outside my house, it would still be an amazing atmosphere.”