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| England coach Tony Smith is looking to his team and their reputation [AFP] |
England coach Tony Smith has given the national side a huge overhaul as they look to regain the respect they lost during last year’s disastrous rugby league World Cup campaign.
The Warrington Wolves coach has axed the entire first-choice backline from last year's under-achieving squad.
Paul Wellens, Ade Gardner, Martin Gleeson, Mark Calderwood, Leon Pryce and Rob Burrow have been left out of the 24-man squad England will take into the tournament which the country also hosts.
Smith has also declined Keith Senior's offer to rescind the international retirement he announced last autumn despite his stellar form during the latter half of the domestic season.
The Leeds five-eighth Danny McGuire is the only back who was involved in the World Cup semi-final defeat by New Zealand to survive as Smith looks to a new generation led by the talented trio of Wigan's Sam Tomkins, St Helens’ Kyle Eastmond and the Warrington bound Richie Myler.
Perhaps somewhat controversially rugby union bound Leeds centre Lee Smith was included despite his impending move to London club Wasps at the tournament’s conclusion.
"It's time to bring some fresh faces in," said Tony Smith. "We picked a lot of new names for the mid-year game in France and it gave us a fresh feel. They deserve this chance. This series is about the future but it's about now as well, and we feel they're ready now."
Stability in the pack
The forward pack has much more continuity about it as Adrian Morley, James Graham, Gareth Ellis, James Roby, Ben Westwood, Jon Wilkin, Kevin Sinfield and the captain, Jamie Peacock, are retained from the World Cup squad.
South Sydney bound Sam Burgess and Sean O'Loughlin also return after missing the tournament because of injury.
There are also a couple of relatively new faces, the Huddersfield pair of Scott Moore and Eorl Crabtree, both of whom made full debuts in mid-season in France.
The side will play a warm up against Wales on October 17, although Smith will rest all members of the squad who played in last week’s Grand Final as well as Crabtree and Hull KR fullback Shaun Briscoe who are recovering from injuries.
England's open the tournament against France in Doncaster on Friday week.
The final will be held at Elland Road, Leeds on November 14.
England squad for Four Nations
Chris Bridge (Warrington), Shaun Briscoe (Hull Kingston Rovers), Sam Burgess (Bradford), Garreth Carvell (Warrington), Eorl Crabtree (Huddersfield), Kyle Eastmond (St Helens) Gareth Ellis (Wests Tigers), Peter Fox (Hull KR), James Graham (St Helens), Ryan Hall (Leeds), Danny McGuire (Leeds), Scott Moore (Huddersfield), Adrian Morley (Warrington), Richard Myler (Salford), Sean O'Loughlin (Wigan), Jamie Peacock (Leeds, captain), James Roby (St Helens), Michael Shenton (Castleford), Kevin Sinfield (Leeds), Lee Smith (Leeds), Paul Sykes (Bradford), Sam Tomkins (Wigan), Ben Westwood (Warrington), Jon Wilkin (St Helens).
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Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies
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