Possible debutants in England squad analysed including St Helens, Hull KR and Wigan Warriors stars
From left to right: Ollie Partington, James Batchelor and Junior Nsemba could all make their debuts for England this year
When England head coach Shaun Wane names his extended train-on squad on Friday ahead of the Samoa test series, there are likely to be a few new faces in the mix.
Wane’s side – who beat France 40-8 in Toulouse back in June – face Samoa, the nation that unforgettably knocked them out of the World Cup at the semi-final stage in 2022, twice this autumn.
First squaring off in Wigan at The Brick Community Stadium on October 27, the pair then meet again six days later in Leeds on November 2 at Headingley.
Boss Wane will name an initial squad of over 30 players from both sides of the world, and here, we’ve listed five stars who could well be in that with a chance of making their international bow in a few weeks’ time.
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James Batchelor (Hull KR)
Batchelor has been one of the most consistent back-rowers in Super League for a couple of seasons now, spending a few weeks out injured midway through this campaign but quickly getting back to his best having now made 19 league appearances in 2024.
The Hull KR ace’s only previous international experience came for England Knights in October 2018, featuring in a 16-12 win against Papua New Guinea a the Lae Oval.
George Delaney (St Helens)
St Helens forward Delaney is only 20, but has already made 50 senior appearances, including 44 for Paul Wellens’ side having made his first-team debut in April 2022.
A bright prospect who has played in some big games at a very tender age, he has already caught the eye of Wane – who included him in his squad for June’s trip to France. Delaney was the unused 18th man in that victory, so could well be in contention to be involved again this autumn.
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Liam Marshall (Wigan Warriors)
One of the best wingers in Super League, if not the best, 28-year-old Marshall has STILL not got an official England appearance on his CV, only appearing in a World Cup warm up game against Fiji before not being selected for the actual tournament. Surely that has to be rectified come the end of his illustrious career.
There is a litter of talent for Wane to pick from on the wings, but Marshall has been up there with the best in the competition over here for a number of years.
Junior Nsemba (Wigan Warriors)
After the season he’s had, it’s virtually impossible to see Nsemba not making Wane’s squad, and if he does, there’s a very real possibility the youngster could make his international debut.
He’s not looked out of his depth against any of the opponents he’s faced at club level for Wigan so far this year, and we reckon he’d knock it out of the park if handed a chance by Wane. By the time the series comes around, the 20-year-old could be a Super League champion.
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Ollie Partington (Salford Red Devils)
There are plenty of quality 13s in the reckoning for England, so this is a bit of a rogue shout, but Partington – who featured once for England Knights in 2019 – has been absolutely quality for Salford this year. That’s why he’s earned himself a move over to France with Catalans Dragons next season.
Wane was the coach that handed the Wigan academy product his senior debut in the game back in 2018, so that connection is already there. There’s not much more Partington could do at his end to get recognition with a call up, put it that way.
