KEVIN Brown will be given a shot in the England halves in the final group game on Sunday.

Although the Warrington Wolves stand-off has caught the eye on his last three international performances, including last year’s crunch Four Nations loss to Australia at London Stadium when he was still on the books at Widnes Vikings, Wayne Bennett has preferred the combination of Luke Gale and Gareth Widdop in the tournament’s opening two games.

But he has been named alongside Castleford’s Man of Steel Gale, in one of a number of changes, for the clash with France in Perth.

England assistant coach Denis Betts, who was Brown’s former club coach at Widnes, said: “Kevin’s really impressed Wayne over the last couple of years.

“When he played against Australia in the Four Nations he had an outstanding game. His contribution was very high and structurally he was great.

“He played exceptionally well in the World Club Series against Wayne’s club side Brisbane, which was a bonus for him and Warrington.

“And when he played in the mid-season international, he was high with assists, he created opportunities, he created tries, his kicking game was good.

“When I coached him at Widnes he was my captain and my leader and he had the qualities in him to be an international standard player.”

Wolves' Stefan Ratchford has been named on the wing, a position he has never started for Warrington, with Widdop moved to full-back to make way for Brown in the halves.

“Stef Ratchford is an outstanding rugby league player, wherever you play him, whatever you do with him,” said Betts.

“He gives you the best quality that he’s got and that quality is at the highest level.”

Wolves’ other England representatives, Chris Hill and Ben Currie, are also listed in the starting line-up too at prop and second row.

Currie is set to square up with Benjamin Jullien, the man who impressed as he took over his club spot for most of 2017 while he recovered from knee surgery.

An England win or a draw will mean a likely clash with Papua New Guinea in the quarter finals, while a loss by 32 points would see France climb above them and leave England counting on Australia comfortably beating Lebanon.

On Saturday morning, New Wolves recruit Ben Murdoch-Masila is again named on the bench but ex-Wire centre Peta Hiku misses out for the war between Tonga and New Zealand at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton to determine who finishes top of Group B.

The Wire winger Matty Russell keeps his spot on the Scotland flank against Samoa at Barlow Park in Cairns. The winners will go into the quarter finals.

Warrington-born Gavin Bennion gets his first run of the tournament for Wales against Ireland at Perth Rectangular Stadium on Sunday morning.

Wales will be heading home after this clash, while Ireland need to win and hope USA can upset the odds by beating Pool C leaders Papua New Guinea in order to continue.

For Ireland, Warington-born Ed Chamberlain is named at right centre and Wolves pair Joe Philbin and George King on the bench, but ex-Wire forward Tyrone McCarthy looks set to miss out.