WARRINGTON Wolves' Stefan Ratchford is in contention to be England's first-choice full back for the Ladbrokes Four Nations series.

The 28-year-old was a stand-out performer in Saturday's Grand Final after spending most of the season in the number one role.

He is named in Wayne Bennett's first England squad selection alongside the most likely potential rival for the shirt in St Helens' Jonny Lomax, although Wigan's Dan Sarginson can cover the position too as he did at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Ratchford, who is joined in Bennett's 24 by Warrington teammates Chris Hill, Daryl Clark and 2017 signing Mike Cooper, was a member of the England squad that toured Australia and New Zealand in 2014 but missed out on selection behind Sam Tomkins and Zak Hardaker.

With Tomkins on crutches with a foot injury, and Hardaker not involved at the end of a season which failed to come close to his Man of Steel campaign in 2015, Bennett could well feel it is Ratchford's time to lead the rearguard.

The former Salford star, who joined Wolves for the start of the 2012 season, has been around the England scene for eight seasons.

When still at Salford, Ratchford was named by then England coach Tony Smith – now his boss at Wolves – in the train-on squad for the 2009 end-of-season internationals. But he missed the cut.

For two years Ratchford figured in the England Knights, a representative team for players on the fringe of senior call-ups, and was selected in the national side’s clash with the Exiles in 2012.

But that friendly in Steve McNamara’s team against the cream of Super League’s overseas talent did not count for a cap, and although he was on board for the camp in South Africa at the end of that domestic season his services were not called upon for the autumn internationals.

He was named in the 30-man England Elite Training Squad in 2013 but overlooked for the mid-season International Origin match against the Exiles before serious injury in the Grand Final loss to Wigan at Old Trafford ruled out any hopes of playing in that winter’s world cup.