England boss explains Wigan Warriors star Harry Smith’s influential role and Jake Wardle call

Smith has been included in McDermott’s 23-man England squad for the tournament, with the Wigan playmaker set to play a key role in the side’s attack and kicking game.

McDermott believes Smith’s ability to control games and influence those around him makes him an important player for England heading into this autumn’s World Cup.

“I think an on-the-ball seven and a controlling seven, and a seven who has got an influence over everybody - not because he has got a seven on his back - but because he has actually got an influence on everybody, and he has that presence, does Harry Smith,” said McDermott.

“Every team needs that, so whether you’re a team that is going to play tight and conservative and just get to the end of your sets and kick the ball, or whether you’re a team that is going to shift the ball twice a set and the ball would end up in areas of the field that you can’t really plan for, your seven needs to get hold of the last play and kick well, and to do that, you need to be able to coordinate two or three players on the field at the drop of a hat, and Harry Smith does that really well.

“Some teams don’t have too much difference between a six and a seven... Harry Smith is an absolute on-the-ball seven who controls kicking and controls the sets - that’s not to say nobody else can kick, of course they can - but he would have the influence over us.

“Even if we’re playing with a point of difference, we still need some of the usuals - we still need to complete high, we still need to be disciplined in defence, we still need to have a really good kicking game - some of these things are non-negotiable at international level, and Harry Smith fits the bill there.”

Meanwhile, McDermott has explained Jake Wardle’s omission from the England squad, with the Wigan centre set for a full off-season of rest and recovery after sustaining knee and calf injuries during the campaign.

The 27-year-old missed around two months of action in the first half of the season due to a knee injury and then missed Wigan’s final three matches of the campaign with a calf issue.

“I’ve been talking to Jake through the year,” McDermott said. “He let me know he’s had a bad knee for a fair chunk of the year.

“There was no need in making that public - we weren’t being disingenuous when we didn’t tell anybody - but from his club point of view, he didn’t want to be making that public at club level for the competition, but I knew Jake wouldn’t be available towards the backend, only by a slim chance.

“He is one that will be sorely missed. He is a tremendously tough defender, a great defensive centre and plays really well in a really competitive Wigan (team), so I knew when we lost him that we would have to replace him with somebody quality.”

Wardle was one of several players who had to withdraw through injury or post-season operations, with McDermott having confirmed that Tom Johnstone, Caleb Hamlin-Uele, Jake Trueman, Mike McMeeken (all Wakefield Trinity), Ash Handley, Mikolaj Oledzki (both Leeds Rhinos) and Billy Smith (Sydney Roosters) were also withdrawals for similar reasons.

England kick off their World Cup campaign against Tonga in Perth on Saturday, October 17.