England boss Brian McDermott explains picking Mikey Lewis over Jake Connor for World Cup

Connor was a standout performer for Leeds Rhinos as they secured a top-two finish for the first time since 2017, contributing a competition-high 43 assists to earn a place in the Super League Dream Team.

Yet the 2025 Man of Steel was conspicuous by his absence when McDermott named a 23-man squad featuring George Williams, Harry Smith, Mikey Lewis and Sydney Roosters utility Hugo Savala.

"I believe Jake has had a really good year," said the England boss.

"He had an outstanding year last year, got the Man of Steel and again has played with a leading team this year.

"What I’ve got is a squad full of players who I believe will best play to the game style, the attack plan or the game model we identified many weeks ago, that I think we need to do to compete with the leading nations.

"We can't do the usual things. I've made this point from the day I took the job – we’ve got to play with a point of difference.

"Jake Connor missed out on selection by a small margin. It came down to something like who I think can best stick to the game plan and the attack plan."

Lewis – one of just two Yorkshire-based players in the squad alongside Hull KR team-mate Jez Litten – makes the plane after an eventful season that included some difficult spells and disciplinary setbacks in the closing months.

Despite failing to hit the heights of previous years, the former Man of Steel still scored 17 tries and provided 14 assists in 20 Super League appearances.

"I think current form has a bearing, of course it does," said McDermott.

"There's another principle of how we picked a team as well: can you play under pressure? A World Cup, you don’t get any second chances. You have to deliver there and then.

"I've picked a group of players who have a recent history of playing in finals and delivering when it matters. Mikey Lewis won a World Club Challenge when it mattered and guided his team to a Challenge Cup final.

"I get he wasn't in the best of shape in the back of the year and incurred a couple of bans but I'll point everyone to the attack plan and the game model I think England needs to have to compete with the bigger nations."

Newly crowned Super League champions Wakefield Trinity are not represented despite having Mike McMeeken, Caleb Hamlin-Uele, Jake Trueman and Tom Johnstone in the extended preliminary squad.

McDermott confirmed that all four players withdrew from contention.

"I'm really disappointed and it's a real shame that the Wakefield boys aren’t available,” said McDermott.

"There's nothing we or they can do. They're all booked in for operations.

"Jake Trueman has had a fantastic year, Mike McMeeken has been enormous, the same as Caleb Hamlin-Uele and Tom Johnstone.

"Every single one of them was in and among being picked but I knew they were going to have operations."

McDermott also confirmed that Leeds pair Ash Handley and Mikolaj Oledzki pulled out due to injury issues.

Kallum Watkins was the other Rhinos player in the original performance programme group but he missed the cut.

"He was a tough phone call," said the former Leeds boss, who coached Watkins throughout his time in charge at Headingley. "As was (Warrington Wolves hooker) Danny Walker.

"I know Kallum has got a ton of experience and is probably coming towards the back end of his career, though he doesn’t look like he needs to retire right now.

"But I just feel, the squad we’ve got, we didn’t need him in the squad, as cold as that sounds."

England World Cup squad: Ashton (Warrington Wolves), Brimson (Gold Coast Titans), Currie (Warrington Wolves), Eckersley (Wigan Warriors), Farnworth (Dolphins), Havard (Wigan Warriors), King (Canterbury Bulldogs), Knowles (Dolphins), Lewis, Litten (both Hull KR), Nsemba, O’Neill (both Wigan Warriors), Pearce-Paul (Wests Tigers), Radley, Savala (both Sydney Roosters), Smith (Wigan Warriors), Smithies (Canberra Raiders), Thompson, Walters (both Wigan Warriors), Talty (Brisbane Broncos), Welsby (St Helens), Williams (Warrington Wolves), Young (Newcastle Knights).