Ryan Hall has scored 39 tries in his 40 appearances for England but has again lost out to 21-year-old Dom Young; England, who have racked up 196 points in their three group games, are expected to face their sternest challenge so far when meeting Papua New Guinea
Last Updated: 03/11/22 12:27pm
Ryan Hall is not set to feature for England against Papua New Guinea
England coach Shaun Wane has left out record try-scorer Ryan Hall for Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against Papua New Guinea at Wigan’s DW Stadium.
Hall has scored 39 tries in his 40 appearances for England but has again lost out to 21-year-old Dom Young, who has made an explosive start to his international career with a tournament-best eight tries in his three games.
England, who have racked up 196 points in their three group games, are expected to face their sternest challenge so far when faced with Papua New Guinea.
Young, whose lethal finishing has drawn comparisons with Martin Offiah, was preferred to Hall for England’s opening match against Samoa and has done enough to keep his spot.
Tommy Makinson, who deputised at full-back for a rested Sam Tomkins in the 94-4 win over Greece, switches to the other wing for the start of the knockout stages.
Forwards Andy Ackers, Joe Batchelor, Mikolaj Oledzki and Luke Thompson were the other players omitted from the 24-man squad when Wane trimmed it to 19. Tomkins, centres Kallum Watkins and Herbie Farnworth and forwards Michael McIlorum and Elliott Whitehead return to the squad after sitting out the last match.
Wane has kept goal-kicking scrum-half Marc Sneyd in his 19 following his 30-point haul, man-of-the-match performance against the Greeks but is likely to pair Jack Welsby with a rejuvenated George Williams at half-back.
“Against the All Stars we did pretty well, and we hit it off in the game against Samoa,” he said. “I love playing with George. He’s very instinctive, pretty similar to myself.
“It doesn’t really matter where you play on the field. If I’m at six or anywhere else, it doesn’t really matter, he’ll still find me, and I’ll find him.
Wane has spoken of the physical challenge his players can expect and Welsby says he is ready for it.
“I’ve played against PNG blokes like David Mead before so I know what to expect but it doesn’t get much bigger than a World Cup quarter-final,” he said.
“It’s pretty big and pretty special. This is a stepping stone and we want to go on and win it.”
England’s 19-man squad: 1. Sam Tomkins, 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Kallum Watkins, 4. Herbie Farnworth, 6. Jack Welsby, 7. George Williams, 8. Tom Burgess, 9. Micky McIlorum, 11. Elliott Whitehead, 12. John Bateman, 13. Victor Radley, 14. Dom Young, 15. Morgan Knowles, 16. Matty Lees, 17. Mike Cooper, 18. Chris Hill, 20. Mike McMeeken, 21. Marc Sneyd, 24. Kai Pearce-Paul.