Brian McDermott is only very early into his tenure as England head coach but he’s sure to be thinking about his World Cup squad and one NRL star’s position change is offering more food for thought.
Asked by Serious About Rugby League at his recent Q&A with the media what his initial plans were, McDermott confirmed intentions to assemble a staff but he also revealed that he had started to look at squads.
“At some stage we’ll announce a big squad and at some stage we’ll announce a touring squad,” McDermott revealed.
“Then there’s a process of contacting the players through the year and having contact time with them. I have to have a lot of contact time with the players through the year.”
One player who he is sure to have more contact with than anyone else, given his role as Gold Coast Titans assistant, is Gold Coast’s AJ Brimson, the man who debuted at full-back for England in the Ashes.
Brimson replaced Jack Welsby in the second Test and retained his spot for the third Test before going off injured, however, he’s currently playing centre for the Titans and that could either create a headache or provide a solution for Brian McDermott.
Where does NRL man AJ Brimson play for England after club position change?
One of the key reasons for Brimson’s selection under Shane Wane was his versatility with the Australian-born back capable all across the back-line or even in the halves, but it is centre where he’s been playing for Gold Coast.
On that, the 27-year-old told club media: “If my role is centre at the moment, and I’m just going to do my best to be the best centre I can. Winning for me is the number one outcome.”
That sounds like the sort of mentality that aligns with Brian McDermott and should Brimson perform in that role then he will be sure to stake a claim for the second centre spot, with Herbie Farnworth a near certainty to play in the other role.
Predicted England World Cup squad for 2026
Should Brimson play centre then there needs to be a solution at full-back, which had been locked down by Jack Welsby before his shaky performance in the first Test at Wembley. Welsby could certainly be the man but it’s currently uncertain if he’ll even play that role at St Helens with Tristan Sailor in red-hot form there.
Meanwhile Super League centres such as Ash Handley and Jake Wardle will also stake claims with the former in incredible form in 2026, whereas the latter has been viewed as the clear standout in the competition over the past few years. Umyla Hanley was a Dream Team centre in 2025 but injuries have hampered his 2026 campaign, whilst NRL player Billy Smith is another to have raised his hand for England selection in the past.
Where Brimson will play is unclear but given how much Brian McDermott sees of him in his club role, there will be no-one that he has a better understanding of in the England set-up and that will surely go a long way to the NRL star cementing his name in the 24-man World Cup squad.
