THREE Warrington Wolves stars have been selected for England in the World Cup Nines and had their places confirmed in the Great Britain touring squad confirmed too.
Hooker Daryl Clark, back-rower Jack Hughes and stand-off Gareth Widdop, who joins The Wire next season from St George Illawarra Dragons, are in the 16-strong England squad for the tournament in Sydney and in the first 11 names announced for the GB tour of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea that follows.
Warrington Wolves hooker, Daryl Clark. Picture: Mike Boden
The Downer World Cup Nines will be played at the new Bankwest Stadium on October 18 and 19, and covered extensively by Sky Sports.
England’s men have been drawn in a qualifying group with Wales, France and Lebanon, with only the winners progressing to the semi finals.
England women, who announced a 16-strong squad in August, will play in a four-team tournament with Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, with the top two in the qualifying group going straight to the final.
James Graham, the 34-year-old St George Illawarra Dragons prop who won five Great Britain caps in 2006-7 and first captained England in 2010, is named as captain of the Nines squad.
He is joined by five other Australia-based players: his Dragons team-mate Widdop, Elliott Whitehead and Ryan Sutton of Canberra Raiders; the Sydney Roosters winger Ryan Hall; and the South Sydney prop Tom Burgess.
Of those, Graham, Whitehead, Hall and Burgess join Widdop in the GB squad.
The 10 players based in the Betfred Super League in the Nines squad come from eight clubs.
Players from the Grand Finalists, Salford and St Helens, were not considered, as the squad will fly to Sydney next Saturday morning ahead of that night's Old Trafford showdown.
As well as the two players from Warrington Wolves, there are two from Castleford Tigers – Jake Trueman and Liam Watts; Jermaine McGillvary from Huddersfield Giants; Sam Tomkins from Catalans Dragons; Reece Lyne from Wakefield Trinity; Ash Handley from Leeds Rhinos; and Jake Connor from Hull FC.
Of that list, Trueman, McGillvary, Williams and Connor join Clark and Hughes in selection for the Great Britain tour.
Tomkins, Lyne, Handley and Watts have been placed on standby, with the full 24-man GB touring party to be announced on Monday, October 14, after the Betfred Super League Grand Final.
A number of other players, including the Canberra pair of John Bateman and Josh Hodgson, and Warrington’s stand-off Blake Austin, were not considered for the Nines because of injury, but are expected to be available for the Great Britain tour.
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