Young has scored 18 tries in 26 games for the Newcastle Knights
| Venue: St James Park, Newcastle Events: Saturday October 15th Kicking off: 14:30 CET |
| Cover: Watch live on ` TV, ` iPlayer and online; live commentary on Radio 5 Live and Sports Extra; Live lyrics and highlights on the ` Sport website and app |
Winger Dominic Young will earn his first cap for England in Saturday’s World Cup opener against Samoa in Newcastle.
The 21-year-old was named ahead of Ryan Hall, England’s all-time leading try scorer, in a 19-man squad.
Young is one of six selected uncapped players alongside fellow NRL players Herbie Farnworth and Victor Radley, Salford’s Marc Sneyd and Wigan’s Kai Pearce-Paul.
Jack Welsby is one of four players for Super League champions St Helens.
The opening match at St James’ Park starts at 14:30 BST and will be broadcast live on the `.
England squad: Sam Tomkins (Captain), Tommy Makinson, Kallum Watkins, Herbie Farnworth, Jack Welsby, George Williams, Tom Burgess, Micky McIlorum, Luke Thompson, Elliott Whitehead, Victor Radley, Dom Young, Morgan Knowles, Matty Lees, Mike Cooper, Chris Hill , Mike McMeeken, Marc Sneyd, Kai Pearce-Paul.
Newcastle Knights’ Young, the 6ft 7in former Huddersfield player had a starring role in England’s 50-0 demolition of Fiji in the warm-up game last Friday, which was not classified as an official friendly.
Catalan Dragons’ Michael McIlorum was picked for hooker in place of the in-form Andy Ackers.
Ackers was absent from the 24-man squad, as were the suspended John Bateman, Mikolaj Oledski and Joe Batchelor.
Young will play on the left wing and Tommy Makinson on the right wing, while Jack Welsby is likely to be in the stalemate and Saints teammates Morgan Knowles and Matty Lees could be on the bench.
“Few options”
Dave Woods, ` Sport Rugby League correspondent
The Yorkshire-born Young has been a revelation in the NRL this year with 14 tries from 22 appearances for Newcastle Knights.
Hall is England’s all-time record try scorer with 35 tries in 38 appearances and some may have thought his ability to clear his lines with his strength and power might have put him on the shortlist.
But Young and Makinson on the other wing offer a real threat with plenty of pace.
In McIlorum, only one specialized hooker is chosen. That could mean we’ll see loose forward Radley move into that position throughout the game.
All three halves have been included but squad numbering suggests Welsby and George Williams are likely top picks, with Sneyd potentially in line for a spot on the bench.
Squad numbering also offers the best indication of who Wane’s forwards will be, but he certainly doesn’t lack choice in the pack.
However, it is worth noting that the rules for this World Cup allow coaches to switch players in and out of the said 19 without consequences up to two hours before kick-off.
This could lead to a lot of guesswork and psychological tricks as the tournament progresses.
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