Hull KR and Leeds Rhinos stars among five unlucky to miss out as Shaun Wane names extended England squad

England head coach Shaun Wane has named an extended England training squad ahead of the Ashes with a trio of Hull KR men unlucky to miss out.

Wane has invited 32 players for a squad session that will take place tomorrow (Tuesday) as England prepare to face Australia in the Ashes at the end of the season.

It’s the first Ashes series in over 20 years and with training time limited, these off-feet sessions can be a major boost to squad unity, especially when so many players are named.

On top of the 32 players called up for this session, there’s a host of talent from the NRL that will be up for selection for the three Tests against Australia as well.

Despite that, there are still some players who could count themselves very unlucky to miss out on being selected with league leaders Hull KR boasting three such players.

Six of the 32-man squad are yet to play for England, including Hull KR forward James Batchelor and Leeds Rhinos’ NRL-bound second-rower Morgan Gannon. Harry Robertson is another of the names to earn a call-up but we’ve looked at five players who haven’t been named.

Who is unlucky to miss out on Shaun Wane’s England squad?

Dean Hadley (Hull KR)

Hadley has been a monster in the middle ever since Willie Peters took over but his efforts this season are astounding. Able to play anywhere in the forward pack, he’s a versatile option who is an absolute workhorse.

His stats in Super League back that up as well with an impressive 502 tackles made and just 29 missed. That’s a tackle efficiency of over 94% which is among the very best in Super League for players with that number of tackles.

Jack Broadbent (Hull KR)

Another Hull KR option here and whilst Broadbent likely wouldn’t be a starter, he’s still only 24 and he can play in every position across the backline which is such a valuable trait.

Given that Jack Welsby is in a race to be fit for the Ashes, Broadbent would be a great option who can cover at full-back whilst also being viable in the centres or on the wing. Nine tries and nine assists in just 15 games says it all.

Jake Connor (Leeds Rhinos)

There was an expectation that Jake Connor would miss out despite the fact he leads the Man of Steel voting. He’s been incredible for Leeds Rhinos and has certainly helped them to wins that they wouldn’t have otherwise got, however, he’s been left out. His tally of 20 assists ranks second in Super League but it’s not enough to dislodge the likes of George Williams, Harry Smith and Mikey Lewis.

Max Jowitt (Wakefield Trinity)

Another player who you’d have expected to be in with a shout given the injury to Jack Welsby (who has been named to the squad along with the injured Matty Ashton and Danny Walker). Jowitt has been superb for Trinity and has nine tries and eight assists whilst also racking up the points with the boot.

Tom Davies (Hull KR)

Perhaps the most surprising snub is that of Tom Davies given the injury to Matty Ashton and the lack of form for Dom Young in the NRL. The Hull KR winger has 13 tries to his name now and has made over 2,000 metres in Super League, something only four players can better. His ability to carry out of backfield and get the Robins on the front foot is something that few England wingers can do and makes his omission even more confusing. His wing partner Joe Burgess is another who could be deemed unlucky.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #EnglandRL Men Head Coach Shaun Wane has invited 32 players from the @Betfred #SuperLeague to a session which is taking place tomorrow pic.twitter.com/i4jdf98dv4

— England Rugby League (@England_RL) June 30, 2025