England's Rugby League World Cup squad: Brian McDermott explains Jake Connor exclusion, Mikey Lewis inclusion, and game plan
England head coach Brian McDermott has named his 23-player squad for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup; He has chosen to leave Jake Connor out, citing big game experience and the 'game model' that England want to play with
Monday 5 October 2026 11:08, UK
Brian McDermott has consistently talked about England having a "point of difference" in the Rugby League World Cup but eyebrows were raised when the head coach opted to leave Jake Connor out of the squad again.
Connor was controversially left out of England's 3-0 Ashes drubbing last autumn by then head coach Shaun Wane and has once again had a strong season for Leeds Rhinos that led to his Dream Team inclusion.
However, McDermott has opted for George Williams, Harry Smith, and Mikey Lewis as his half-back options, with Sydney Roosters centre Hugo Savala also a capable half-back.
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For McDermott, the players in that heavy Ashes defeat series were not the issue, but the game plan enforced that has been tried and failed many times before.
"It is not a case of changing players as such, although through the tournament we will pick the team that we think can best get the job done each week, but I believe last year that they didn't play with the points of difference," McDermott said.
"They just tried the usual things - they tried to put the ball on a certain pat of grass and then tried to shift the ball to beat Australia on the outside.
"I don't suggest that's what England's done all the time but you have got to play with the point of difference and the reason not many people will do it is because sometimes it doesn't come off and there's a risk element to that.
"You have got to have some courage. There is a way of playing which asks more questions of team's defence when you have got the ball rather than just loading up for one shape per set."
Lewis has done it in 'big games' and 'runs' the ball
While McDermott believes Lewis fits the "game model" more than Connor, he understands that, on form, Connor has had a strong season.
However, alongside form, having led a team in a big game also came into his thinking, which he noted Lewis did in the Challenge Cup and World Club Challenge.
"I believe Jake's had a really good year. He had an outstanding year last year, got a Man of Steel and again has played with a leading team this year," he added.
"What I have got is a squad full of players who I believe will best play to the game style, the attack plan or the game model that we identified many weeks ago that I think we need to do to be able to compete with the leading nations.
"We can't do the usual things and I've made this a point from the day that I took the job, we've got to play with the point of difference.
"So I've got a squad of players here that I believe are best suited to the attack plan and the game model that I think England need to play.
"I think form, current form has a bearing, of course it does. I think there's another principle of how we've picked a team as well which is can you play under pressure.
"The World Cup and internationally you don't get any second chances, you have to deliver there and then, you cannot go back and review the game and have another go the following week.
"I have picked a group of players who've got recent history of playing in finals, winning finals, delivering when it matters.
"Mikey Lewis won a World Cup Challenge at the start of this year and guided his team to a Challenge Cup final.
"I get that he wasn't in the best of shape towards the back end of the year and incurred a couple of bans there, but again, I will just point everybody to the attack plan and the game model that I think that England needs to have to be able to compete with the nations."
With big game experience identified, there was another word that McDermott also focused on when discussing his decision to go with Lewis over Connor: "Well the guy runs and when he is in doubt he runs," McDermott said.
"He doesn't die wondering Mikey, he brings a lot of energy, he brings a lot of attitude and at times that spills over and that would be a concern for any coach.
"But the game is played over the gain line and international football, everything is over the gain line.
"If you look at the Grand Final last night in Australia, there weren't too many tries where people shifted the ball from left side to the right side of the field- everything is nice and tight and everything is over the gain line.
"So you have got some players that, when everybody else is tired, they'll carry the ball themselves and Mikey Lewis does that tremendously well."
Why no Wakefield inclusions?
It is noticeable that Super League Grand Final winners Wakefield Trinity do not have any inclusions in the England squad - they have Jake Trueman, Mike McMeeken, Caleb Hamlin-Uele, and Tom Johnstone in the extended squad.
However, McDermott revealed all four of those players withdrew through injury as recently as the morning of the announcement.
"It is a real shame that the Wakefield boys aren't available. There's nothing we could do or they could do," McDermott said.
"They are all booked in for operations at the end of the year. Jake Truman in particular has had a fantastic year. Mike McMeeken has been enormous. He's been enormous through finals. Same with Caleb Hamlin-Uele and Tom Johnstone.
"So every single one of them were in amongst being picked, but I knew they were going to have operations and there's a strong likelihood that some of them might not be available and I just got a message."
