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Five players who could replace Sam Tomkins as England captain

England skipper Sam Tomkins has announced that he will retire at the end of the current season.

Though Tomkins hasn’t stated he won’t play for England again and Shaun Wane said that he could pick the fullback this year, he has been left out of the 40-man England squad named by Shaun Wane today.

But this begs the question, who will take over from the two-time Man of Steel and lead England in the next World Cup which is only two years away at the end of the season.

Here are five options Shaun Wane could consider.

Jonny Lomax
A natural leader and Super League’s best player since 2018. A great organiser and the man who could have been the difference in the World Cup had he been fit. The only problem with this option is the fact that Lomax is also towards the end of his career and doesn’t offer much longevity.

George Williams
Another halfback and subsequently another natural leader. He has already got experience of captaining England and offers more longevity than Lomax. He also offers experience too. He is currently Super League’s best player.

John Bateman
Another player who has captained England recently – doing so against France in 2021 – Bateman is a leader through his tenacity on the field and has experience on both sides of the planets and is of course a former Super League Champion. Of course he won’t play against France due to NRL commitments.

Liam Farrell
The current Wigan Warriors skipper would be a sound choice. He was likened to James Roby by Phil Clarke recently and the second-row is a terrific leader. Like Lomax though he may not offer the longevity you’d want.

Luke Thompson
Considered for the Canterbury Bulldogs’ captaincy recently, he is one of the best props in the world and leads by example. He has experience both in Super League and the NRL and is a former Super League Champion. Like Bateman he won’t feature against France due to being in the NRL.

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