England head coach Brian McDermott has explained his decision to include Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis in his World Cup squad, alongside the surprise omission of Jake Connor.
Connor, the 2025 Man of Steel, misses out from the international squad for the second year running despite another strong campaign, which saw him rack up a staggering 43 assists during the regular season and named in the Super League Dream Team.
Instead, McDermott has opted for George Williams, Harry Smith and Mikey Lewis, alongside Sydney Roosters utility Hugo Savala, for the tournament Down Under.
“Jake has had a really good year, and an outstanding year last year and got Man of Steel,” McDermott said.
“What I’ve got is a squad full of players who I believe will best play to the game style, attack plan and game model we identified many weeks ago that I think we need to compete with the leading nations.
“We can’t do the usual things, and I made this a point when I took the job. We need to make a point of difference.
“Jake Connor missed out on selection by a small margin and it came down to who I think can best stick to the game plan and attack plan.”
Hull KR maverick Lewis is set to be involved in the England set-up once again, despite struggling with disciplinary issues throughout 2026 and seeing the Robins knocked out of the play-offs at the eliminator stage by eventual finalists Warrington Wolves.
The 25-year-old still produced 17 tries and 14 assists in 20 Super League appearances.
“I think current form has a bearing, of course it does,” McDermott said when asked about Lewis.
“There’s another principle of how we picked a team as well: can you play under pressure?
“A World Cup, you don’t get any second chances. You have to deliver there and then.
“I’ve picked a group of players who have a recent history of playing in finals and delivering when it matters.
“Mikey Lewis won a World Club Challenge when it mattered, and guided his team to a Challenge Cup final.
“I get he wasn’t in the best of shape in the back of the year and incurred a couple of bans, but I’ll point everyone to the attack plan and the game model I think England needs to have to compete with the bigger nations.”
Former Leeds boss McDermott also revealed that players from new Super League champions Wakefield Trinity all pulled out of England contention after their heroic efforts in the Grand Final, beating Warrington 23-10 at Old Trafford.
Jake Trueman, Mike McMeeken, Caleb Hamlin-Uele and Tom Johnstone were all in the reckoning for selection.
“I’m really disappointed, and it’s a real shame that the Wakefield boys aren’t available,” McDermott admitted.
“There’s nothing we or they can do. They’re all booked in for operations.
“Jake Trueman has had a fantastic year, Mike McMeeken has been enormous, and through the finals, the same as Caleb Hamlin-Uele and Tom Johnstone.
“Every single one of them was in and among being picked, but I knew they were going to have operations.”
McDermott has confirmed Sydney Roosters’ Billy Smith, Wigan’s Jake Wardle and Leeds Rhinos duo Ash Handley and Mikolaj Oledzki pulled out through injury.