Chris McQueen, Mike McMeeken and Alex Walmsley new faces in England squad to face Samoa
Monday 24 April 2017 13:39, UK
England coach Wayne Bennett has called up Brisbane-born forward Chris McQueen for the mid-season international against Samoa.
The 29-year-old Gold Coast Titans back-rower is the eye-catching name in Bennett's 20-man squad announced on Monday for the Test in Campbelltown near Sydney on May 6.
Castleford second row Mike McMeeken and St Helens prop Alex Walmsley are also in the squad for the first time, which features eight players who ply their trade in the NRL.
McQueen, the former South Sydney player who has made six State of Origin appearances for Queensland, qualifies through his England-born father.
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His selection comes in the wake of another Queensland representative player, Ben Te'o, being called up for the British and Irish Lions' tour to his native New Zealand this summer.
McQueen was approached to play for England in the 2013 World Cup but rejected it in the hope of winning Origin honours and he went on to play in six consecutive matches for the Maroons from 2013/14 and make a second appearance for an Australian Prime Minister's XIII against Papua New Guinea.
There is also a recall for another Australia-born forward, Chris Heighington, who was last selected under Steve McNamara in 2011, while Wigan loose forward Sean O'Loughlin returns to the squad as captain after missing the 2016 Four Nations tournament through injury.
Bennett said: "This is a strong squad that I believe has the talent to do well.
"The game against Samoa will be tough - they have some good players and plenty of spirit but this gives everyone in our squad the opportunity to show what they can do ahead of the World Cup.
"I'm very pleased that we have this chance to play mid-season. It gives the team a chance to work and spend time together and allows my coaching team and I the opportunity to take a closer look at how the players can rise to the challenge of playing against a tough and uncompromising opponent.
"There are some quality players left behind in England who have either just missed out or been ruled out through injury and this game enables me to look at some of those who haven't been in the squad before."
England squad: Sam Burgess (South Sydney), Tom Burgess (South Sydney), Luke Gale (Castleford), James Graham (Canterbury), Ryan Hall (Leeds), Zak Hardaker (Castleford), Chris Heighington (Cronulla), Chris Hill (Warrington), Josh Hodgson (Canberra), Jermaine McGillvary (Huddersfield), Mike McMeeken (Castleford), Chris McQueen (Gold Coast), Sean O'Loughlin (Wigan, captain), Mark Percival (St Helens), Scott Taylor (Hull), Alex Walmsley (St Helens), Kallum Watkins (Leeds), Elliott Whitehead (Canberra), Gareth Widdop (St George Illawara), George Williams (Wigan).
