IN recent days there has been more talk of who isn’t playing for England against France on Saturday evening than who is.
The fixture, which will be held at the home of Warrington Wolves at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, straddles the Super League calendar with a number of stars withdrawing from the game due to injury.
St Helens, for example, have had seven men pull out due to injury issues, including Tommy Makinson, Alex Walmsley and Mark Percival.
But, England head coach Shaun Wane admits that this doesn’t surprise him considering the rough and tumble nature of the start of the Super League season in 2023.
Wane told the BBC: “The start we’ve had in Super League has been really tough and the way teams have being ripping in, there are going to be injuries, but that means there will be opportunities for a number of other young players.
“It’s down to a bit of everything, including fatigue. [St Helens head coach] Paul Wellens is an England man, he’s worked with me and they’ve had a tough start with the travel. I know they’ve got a number of injuries.”
Wane also expressed how Super League officials back him and England.
“I’ve had meetings with all the Super League coaches and CEOs and they have my trust, I know they all want England to do well,” Wane continued.