Wigan Warriors ace Liam Marshall addresses potential England call-up with official debut awaited

Wigan flier Liam Marshall has won everything there is to win at club level, having a huge hand in the Warriors coming out on top in many a big game with trophy-winning tries aplenty to his name. The winger hasn’t cracked the international scene, but says getting an England call-up isn’t top of his priority list.

With his 28th birthday coming up at the beginning of next month, Marshall has actually made one appearance for England – coming off the interchange bench in a 50-0 rout of Fiji in October 2022.

That game though was a warm-up ahead of the delayed 2021 Rugby League World Cup, so didn’t count as an official test match, and accordingly the records show that the Warriors ace still awaits his ‘official’ debut.

England’s next outing was announced earlier this week, with  the mid-season test against France in Toulouse now confirmed.

Shaun Wane’s side will travel to the Stade Ernest-Wallon on June 29, taking part in game two of a triple-header: England and France’s women’s teams will face off beforehand, with Toulouse’s Championship clash with Featherstone Rovers ending the day.

Wigan Warriors ace Liam Marshall addresses potential England call-up with official debut awaited

The ‘norm’ for a mid-season test – as we’ve seen over the last few years – is for England’s stars currently plying their trade in the NRL to remain unavailable, and that includes star winger Dom Young.

Marshall has enjoyed a sterling start to the campaign with Wigan – scoring 13 tries in eight games, including four last weekend in the Challenge Cup against Castleford Tigers, and very much remains in the discussion as to who Super League’s best winger is.

But getting international recognition would ‘be a bonus’ says the Cherry & Whites ace, who remains focused on winning more silverware with Matt Peet’s men at club level this year. Marshall said: ” It’s just about doing my best and putting my best foot forward for Wigan, my club, and then whatever comes on the back of that will come.

“I’ve not made that step up and played in an official test match yet or made my official debut (for England), but it’s not something that I really think about.

“If something did crop up, then obviously (as a player), you’d be very privileged to play for your country. But in terms of week-to-week, it’s solely about focusing on doing what I can for Wigan and hoping we can have some success.

“Anything extra beyond that is a bonus.”

Marshall on England head coach Shaun Wane: ‘I know what he expects from a person and a player in my position’

England head coach Wane has been the man making the decision to leave Marshall out of his squads over the last four years, with St Helens stalwart Tommy Makinson and Warrington Wolves youngster Matty Ashton amongst those preferred recently.

Wane is someone that Marshall knows very well given the England chief’s ties with Wigan. He was the person who handed Marshall his chance in the Warriors side as a fresh-faced teenager back in 2017, and remains the club’s ‘leadership and management director’ to this day.

Marshall says that thanks to the time he’s spent working with Wane at club level, he knows exactly what the England boss is looking for, with no question marks left to linger over anything from his point of view.

The Warriors winger added: “I wouldn’t necessarily say we’ve had conversations in regards to me making it into the England team.

“We have regular meetings with Shaun here through his role at Wigan, but I know what he expects from a person and a player in my position and one that would play for his team.

“That’s never changed since I was 18 coming into the first-team here at Wigan, so for me, it’s just focusing on what I do week to week here.

“If anything comes on the back of that, then it’s a bonus, but at the minute I’m just focusing on being the best I can be for Wigan.”