England name squad for Fiji warm-up

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England Head Coach Shaun Wane has named a 22-player squad for Friday night’s match against Fiji at the AJ Bell Stadium in Salford – both teams’ last hit-out before the start of the Rugby League World Cup next weekend.

The squad includes 18 members of the 24-strong World Cup squad Wane named last Friday, and Wane has added Liam Marshall, Sam Powell, Harry Smith and Jake Wardle to increase his rotation options.

Two members of St Helens’ winning team from the Betfred Super League Grand Final – Joe Batchelor and Jake Welsby – are included in the 22, and all six NRL-based players in the World Cup squad are also set to feature.

With England’s World Cup captain Sam Tomkins not included, Wane will announce the captain for the match in the next 24 hours.

In addition to Tomkins and John Bateman, who is unavailable this weekend as he serves the second match in the three-match suspension imposed following Wigan’s Super League Play-Off defeat by Leeds Rhinos, the other four World Cup squad players not included were all involved in the Grand Final – Morgan Knowles, Matty Lees and Tommy Makinson of St Helens, and Mikolaj Oledzki of Leeds.

Tickets are available online now from £15 for adults and £5 for under-16s and concessions - Rugby League (rugby-league.com) - and will be available to buy from the stadium on the night.

England squad to play Fiji, Friday October 6

Andy Ackers

Joe Batchelor

Tom Burgess

Mike Cooper

Herbie Farnworth

Ryan Hall

Chris Hill

Liam Marshall

Michael McIlorum

Mike McMeeken

Kai Pearce-Paul

Sam Powell

Victor Radley

Harry Smith

Marc Sneyd
Luke Thompson

Jake Wardle

Kallum Watkins

Jack Welsby
Elliott Whitehead
George Williams
Dom Young