McMeeken targets England spot

Castleford forward Mike McMeeken is very pleased to have been called up to the England elite performance squad, and plans to work hard to earn a spot in Wayne Bennett’s team.

McMeeken has started the 2017 season strongly and caught the eye with some dynamic displays last year.

The 22-year-old accepts though that he faces some fierce competition for places in England’s back row.

“I was delighted when I got the call-up,” McMeeken told Sky Sports.

“I didn’t anticipate it happening for a few years. I’ve obviously got a lot more to continue working on and I plan on doing that this year.

“No position in the England squad is going to be easy to get into but back row is hard in particular.

“I’ve got six, seven eight top-quality back rowers in front of me at the moment.”