The pair will be heading to Australia later this week
Mikey Lewis is set to face Warrington Wolves in the Super League play-offs.
Hull KR duo Jez Litten and Mikey Lewis will be heading to the Rugby League World Cup this month after being included in Brian McDermott’s 23-man squad.
The Robins had a testing season on the back of last year’s treble and after a number of ups and downs their season came to an end at the first play-off hurdle.
However, Litten and Lewis have done enough to retain their spot in the England squad and they’ll be heading down under later this week with the rest of their international teammates.
The selection of Lewis might raise some eyebrows following a tough second half of the season in which he struggled with poor form and ill discipline. However, he has done enough to be chosen ahead of Leeds Rhinos’ Jake Connor in the halves.
NRL based Max King, Hugo Savala and Ben Talty have all been included and could be set to make their England debuts, with Savala ending the season as a Grand Final winner.
Interestingly, despite Wakefield Trinity winning the Super League Grand Final, no Trinity player has been included in the squad.
Wigan Warriors have seven players included, including potential debutant Zach Eckersley, while Warrington Wolves are well represented too.
The England squad will meet up in Perth later this week before they play their first game of the tournament against Tonga on Saturday October 17.
“We have selected the squad after a thorough and deliberate process, underpinned by a unique decentralised preparation model that has allowed us to work closely with the players well before they come together in camp,” McDermott said.
“Throughout that process, we have challenged players to develop a deeper understanding of themselves – their strengths, their point of difference, the areas they need to improve and the standards required to perform at international level.
“Importantly, we have also developed a much deeper understanding of the expectations around each player’s specific role within the England Game Model. The aim has been that when the players arrive in camp, they are not starting from day one trying to understand what is expected of them. They already understand their role, the standards attached to it and how their individual strengths can contribute to the way England wants to play.
“We have been tremendously impressed by the sacrifices made by the wider squad, their willingness to be open-minded about a new way of preparing for international Rugby League, and the level of alignment they have shown towards our collective vision.
“The commitment of the wider squad to this process has given us the opportunity to understand not only who the player is, but who the person is.”
England Men’s 2026 World Cup Squad: Matty Ashton (Warrington Wolves), AJ Brimson (Gold Coast Titans), Ben Currie (Warrington Wolves), Zach Eckersley (Wigan Warriors), Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins), Ethan Havard (Wigan Warriors), Max King (Bulldogs), Morgan Knowles (Dolphins), Mikey Lewis ( Hull KR ), Jez Litten (Hull KR), Junior Nsemba (Wigan Warriors), Brad O’Neill (Wigan Warriors), Kai Pearce-Paul (Wests Tigers), Victor Radley (Sydney Roosters), Hugo Savala (Sydney Roosters), Harry Smith (Wigan Warriors), Morgan Smithies (Canberra Raiders), Luke Thompson (Wigan Warriors), Sam Walters (Wigan Warriors), Ben Talty (Brisbane Broncos), Jack Welsby (St Helens), George Williams (Warrington Wolves), Dom Young (Newcastle Knights)