ENGLAND’S Wheelchair World Cup-winning captain Tom Halliwell faces an unprecedented battle to take part in their title defence this autumn.
The Leeds Rhinos star skippered his nation to glory in 2022 but has not played in more than a year due to a shoulder injury.
He is set to finally go under the knife later this month for shoulder stabilisation surgery, which no wheelchair Rugby League player is believed to have undergone before.
England head coach Tom Coyd told League Express: “We’ll lean on a lot of expertise, with people who have done it in the running game or other athletes.
“We don’t want to rush him back. The only thing that matters is getting him back safely, because he wants to get back to playing rugby on a consistent basis, not having something else go wrong.”
As a result, Halliwell is not part of the 16-player performance squad named by Coyd last week as their build-up to the World Cup in Australia begins.
The group took part in the first of what will be monthly training camps in the weekend just gone at the University of Nottingham.
Three new faces have been introduced in Sheffield Eagles duo Stephen Reilly and Joe Wink-Simmonds plus Halifax Panthers’ Jordan Holt, while fellow uncapped man Josh Edwards, of Hull FC, retains his spot.
Of the ten players who travelled down under last autumn for England’s Ashes victory, eight are part of the performance squad.
Wayne Boardman has since retired from the international game, while Seb Bechara – who won the Golden Boot award after England’s 2022 triumph – has been left out.
Coyd said: “The vision for Seb’s return to the team was put to him. He’s not ruled out indefinitely.
“It was a selection decision based on what we thought was best for the team this year.”
England performance squad: Mason Billington (London Roosters), Jack Brown (Halifax Panthers), Josh Butler, Nathan Collins (both Leeds Rhinos), Joe Coyd (London Roosters), Luis Domingos (Sheffield Eagles), Josh Edwards (Hull FC), Rob Hawkins (Halifax Panthers), Chris Haynes (Sheffield Eagles), Jordan Holt (Halifax Panthers), Lewis King (London Roosters), Tristan Norfolk (Leeds Rhinos), Finlay O’Neill (Halifax Panthers), Jason Owen (London Roosters), Stephen Reilly, Joe Wink-Simmonds (both Sheffield Eagles).