Burgess among England World Cup NRL stars

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Herbie Farnworth’s fine form for the Broncos earlier this year has earned him an England call up.
Herbie Farnworth’s fine form for the Broncos earlier this year has earned him an England call up.

Huddersfield’s veteran prop Chris Hill has earned an England recall for the Rugby League World Cup, a surprise inclusion in a squad that includes six players from the NRL. 

The 34-year-old former Warrington front-rower was the shock name in coach Shaun Wane’s 24-man squad for the tournament, which kicks off when England take on Samoa at Newcastle on October 15.

Hill is the chief beneficiary of the absence of St Helens prop Alex Walmsley, while Salford scrum-half Marc Sneyd is chosen to plug the gap created by the loss of Jonny Lomax with a bicep injury.

Hill, who enjoyed a new lease of life following his move to Huddersfield, is one of six survivors from the team that reached the 2017 World Cup final in Brisbane.

The others are South Sydney’s Tom Burgess and Canberra’s Elliott Whitehead, along with Kallum Watkins, John Bateman and Ryan Hall, who will have the chance to add to his record tally of 35 England tries.

As well as Burgess and Whitehead, the NRL players lining up for England are Herbie Farnworth (Brisbane), Victor Radley (Sydney Roosters), Dom Young (Newcastle) and Luke Thompson (Canterbury).

Farnworth was born in Lancashire and played amateur rugby league for Wigan St Patrick’s before moving to Australia, while Radley qualifies through his Sheffield-born father.

Young, 21, who made a handful of appearances for Huddersfield before joining Newcastle Knights two years ago, opted to play for England rather than Jamaica.

England will play a World Cup warm-up match against Fiji at the AJ Bell Stadium in Salford next Friday before beginning their World Cup campaign eight days later.

England World Cup squad: S Tomkins (Catalans, capt), A Ackers (Salford), J Batchelor, (St Helens), J Bateman (Wigan), T Burgess (South Sydney), M Cooper (Wigan), H Farnworth (Brisbane), R Hall (Hull KR), C Hill (Huddersfield), M Knowles (St Helens), M Lees (St Helens), T Makinson (St Helens), M McIlorum (Catalans), M McMeeken (Catalans), M Oledzki (Leeds), K Pearce-Paul (Wigan), V Radley (Sydney Roosters), M Sneyd (Salford), L Thompson (Canterbury Bulldogs), K Watkins (Salford), J Welsby (St Helens), E Whitehead (Canberra), G Williams (Warrington), D Young (Newcastle).

PA