Outsiders aiming to impress Wane
Shaun Wane has spoken with his England players for the first time this year as he continues preparations for the Rugby League World Cup which gets underway at the end of the year.
Wane may not have seen his side in action yet with last year’s Ashes being cancelled but he has named a number of squads since being hired, giving us an indication of who is in his plans at present.
However, nothing is set in stone just yet and Wane will be watching the 2021 Super League season closely as he puts his World Cup squad together.
With that in mind, here’s a look at five players who will be hoping to catch Wane’s eye in the coming months.
Tom Davies
The winger has been a regular in England Knights squads over the last few years but he is still waiting to make that step up to the senior side.
When he left Wigan Warriors last year a senior England cap looked a long way off. He had made just seven appearances the previous season and struggled for consistency under Adrian Lam.
As such, he jumped at the opportunity for a fresh start at Catalans Dragons and he hasn’t looked back.
The French only managed to get 15 Super League games on last season, including two play-off games, and while Davies only featured in 10 he scored 13 tries including hat-tricks against Leeds and Wakefield.
Davies will be hard pushed to battle his way through a crowd which includes the likes of Ash Handley, Tommy Makinson, Tom Johnstone, Dom Manfredi and others, but if he can continue his try-scoring form into next season he’ll certainly be in with a chance.
Sam Powell
The hooker is another who has featured regularly in Knights squads over the last few years but is still waiting for his first full international cap.
The 28-year-old was arguably in the form of his career last season under Lam, scoring 12 tries in 18 appearances in all competitions and playing a huge role as the Warriors made it to yet another Grand Final.
Powell is no stranger to the big occasion having played in five
Grand Finals and if he can carry last season’s form into 2021, he’ll certainly be in contention for a call-up from his old boss.
Unfortunately for Powell, Wane isn’t short of options in the hooker role. Josh Hodgson, Paul Mcshane, Daryl Clark and James Roby will be among those competing for Wane’s recognition, too.
Oliver Partington
Still only 22, Partington is one of the best young middles in the competition right now and he’ll be hoping to continue his progression in 2021 under Adrian Lam.
His energy and enthusiasm in the pack has been key to Wigan’s success over the last couple of years and he will no doubt have another important role this year with Wigan being tipped for silverware by many.
Partington has won one cap for the Knights against Jamaica and featured in the Knights squad at the start of last year, but he’ll be aiming to work his way into the World Cup reckoning this year.
Jake Connor
Connor was once a regular in the international set-up with five England caps and three appearances for Great Britain coming his way before Wane took the reins.
Since then Connor hasn’t been in the picture with his name omitted from every squad Wane has named so far.
Nevertheless, the playmaker showed glimpses of his scintillating best towards the end of last season for Hull FC and if he can impress this time around under Brett Hodgson he may just be able to work his way back onto the scene.
Some of Connor’s best performances came at full-back last season and he’s expected to play there throughout 2021, meaning he could be competing with the likes of Stefan Ratchford, Sam Tomkins and Niall Evalds for a spot.
Mike Mcmeeken
The back-rower has a lot of competition for a place in the England squad, with the likes of Elliott Whitehead, Liam Farrell and John Bateman favourites to feature for England in the World Cup.
However, he was named in the last World Cup squad after some impressive performances for Castleford Tigers and he’ll hope his switch to Catalans can help him work his way back into the fold.
Catalans will start the season with lofty ambitions and if Mcmeeken can excel in those high profile games this year he could find himself being asked to link up with Wane’s squad come the end of the year.