Josh Charley set to earn England recall
Sunday 24 March 2019 21:39, UK
Josh Charnley is poised to return to the England fold, 12 months since returning from rugby union.
The 27-year-old winger, who won eight England caps as a Wigan player from 2012-14 and played in the 2013 World Cup, is set to be included in Wayne Bennett's updated 30-man elite performance squad (EPS) which will be announced on Monday.
Charnley enjoyed a phenomenal scoring record for his home-town club Wigan, claiming 162 tries in 171 appearances from 2010-16, but the tries dried up during a 14-month spell with Premiership club Sale Sharks.
He was signed by Warrington last March and, after re-discovering his scoring touch with 31 tries in 34 appearances so far for his new club, he is back in the international reckoning.
On his return to the 13-man code last March, Charnley made no secret of his intention to impress national coach Bennett.
"If I get a call off Wayne to say I've been added, it would be a bonus," he said at the time.
"My goal is to get picked for England again, there is no better moment than playing for your country, but I just really want to do well for Warrington."
After guiding England to a Test series win over New Zealand last autumn, Bennett is now turning his thoughts to taking the re-formed Great Britain team on a Lions tour at the end of 2019.
The Lions will play two matches against the Kiwis and one-off Tests against Tonga in Auckland and Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby.
A wing vacancy has arisen because of the season-ending knee injury sustained by Wakefield's Tom Johnstone and, although he could keep his place in the EPS, Charnley will be eyeing a place on the Lions tour as well as a spot in the England squad for the inaugural World 9s in Sydney in October.
Bennett may also consider a replacement for Castleford scrum-half Luke Gale, who is unlikely to play this year after rupturing his Achilles in pre-season, while John Bateman and Ryan Hall automatically drop out of the Super League-based squad after moving to the NRL.
