Three selection headaches for Shaun Wane in 2025, including Wigan’s ‘unsung hero’ and Mikey Lewis debate

2025 is a big year for England – and the international game as a whole – with the return of the Ashes Test series against Australia, but Shaun Wane has some big calls ahead of him.

The England boss has handed caps to a lot of players during his tenure, especially in the past two seasons, but that has created a huge player pool to select from ahead of the Ashes Tests later this year.

On top of this, he is also blessed with some of the most talented players in the game, both in Super League and the NRL, which creates even more of a headache as some truly quality players will be watching the series from their sofas.

But, which are the main areas that will leave Wane with sleepless nights? Well, here are our thoughts on the key headaches facing the England head coach in 2025.

What to do with Mikey Lewis?

Wane has, admirably, stood by the combination of George Williams and Harry Smith the past two seasons, but Mikey Lewis is just getting better and better as the seasons go by and will certainly command a start in the side sooner rather than later.

The Hull KR man was fully deserving of the coveted Man of Steel award for his performances last season, but that just marks the positive steps he has taken in his game to become one of the best in the sport. His explosive running is such a threat in broken play, and he has really begun adding that playmaking ability to his game as well.

Yes, Williams and Smith are a settled Test partnership, and are both also brilliant half-backs themselves, but Wane needs to find a way of getting one of his best players on to the pitch from the get-go.

If Lewis was to start in the halves, Harry Smith would likely drop out of the side, with George Williams skippering the side and seemingly Wane’s right-hand man.

Another alternative is deploying him slightly out of position. Lewis has actually played a bit of fullback in recent years, and did pretty well in that role, but then England have Jack Welsby as their starting number one. Another option, where he has been used off the bench to decent effect for England, is at hooker. Given his running ability, this could be a clever move, but it would be a big call to oust Daryl Clark or Danny Walker from a potential start at nine.

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Lewis is undoubtedly a talent, but he might be set for more time out of the starting 13 in a white jersey in 2025.

Centre

Another key area where Wane is blessed with options is centre. Herbie Farnworth has nailed down his starting spot in the number four jersey with his standout performances against Samoa – as well as in the NRL – but Harry Newman and Jake Wardle will likely be the standout contenders for the number three shirt.

Wigan man Wardle has excelled since making the switch to the Brick Community Stadium and has arguably been one of the unsung heroes in Matt Peet’s juggernaut with 64 appearances and 30 tries in his two years with the club. Wardle has also taken his game up another level this year too, adding consistent attacking flourishes to his already-loaded arsenal. He is head and shoulders the best centre in Super League right now, and deserves more than one cap to his name.

On the flip side, though, Leeds centre Newman has been Wane’s go-to man in the number three shirt since 2023, and has impressed in his six caps to date. Whilst he can be a touch erratic in Blue and Amber, Wane’s system seems to get the best out of him and Newman has had some exquisite touches in the white jersey.

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These two, going toe-to-toe for one spot should drive a lot of interest in the make-up of the England squad, but it will also undoubtedly create a headache for Wane.

On top of this, Toby King and Sam Wood have also been handed caps by Wane in recent seasons and could also be dark horses to come into the squad.

Emerging talent and uncapped men

On top of his already tried and trusted combinations, Wane has a lot of promising English talent that could do a decent job if pulled into the England side for the Ashes this year. Junior Nsemba was simply brilliant in 2024, and looked in fine touch against Samoa in November, but around that there are several other young guns looking to make an impression.

Nsemba’s Wigan colleague Zach Eckersley grew as the year went on, and his try-scoring appearance in the Challenge Cup showed he can perform when the pressure is on. St Helens prop George Delaney was drafted into Wane’s match-day squad to face France this year, but was an unused 18th man. He will be hoping to force his way into the 17 come the end of the year, and could be a perfect addition to an aging front-row unit.

Leon Hayes is also a growing talent in the English game, and the Warrington man could be a shrewd option to draft in as a squad player.

On the uncapped front, Cameron Smith and Lewis Dodd could be handed their first caps, as could Dean Hadley after an exceptional 2024 season.

Wane is blessed with some serious talent, but even around his usual starting 13 he could draft a very strong squad.

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