GARRY SCHOFIELD is a fan of Jack Farrimond – and would like to have seen him in new England coach Brian McDermott’s initial 38-strong squad for the World Cup.
The pool of players included eight from Wigan, but the rising halfback talent who has emerged from the Academy to make his mark at first-team level wasn’t among them.
McDermott, who selected George Williams, Harry Smith, Miley Lewis, Jake Connor and Jake Trueman, has said there is still a chance for other players to force their way into his plans.
And former Great Britain skipper, stand-off and League Express columnist Schofield, who will be giving his views on the tournament in this publication this autumn, has urged Farrimond to put himself firmly to the fore.
The Leigh Miners Rangers product claimed the Lance Todd Trophy when Wigan won the Challenge Cup in May.
Farrimond will turn 21 during the World Cup pool stage, when England play Tonga and France in Perth and Papua New Guinea in Wollongong in October as they aim to make the semi-finals in early November.
Schofield was 18 when he won the first of his 46 Lions caps, making him the joint record holder with Mick Sullivan. He had his 19th birthday while touring Australia under coach Frank Myler.
And he said: “People talk about inexperience, but I see a talented and creative player who isn’t afraid to back himself and has been in great form. What more does he have to do?
“I think he’s been outstanding for Wigan, and you have to applaud the way they keep turning out quality players from their youth system.”
Wigan coach Matt Peet gave Farrimond a run at hooker during the recent 72-20 win at York.
“The way the game ran, I got the opportunity to look at that for longer than I probably intended,” he said.
“It’s a new position to him so he needs to learn the technical side of it. In terms of digging his shoulder in and winning collisions, he was good.
“It will do him good either as a nine or when he goes back into the halves, and add to his understanding of the game as he’ll be seeing it from a different angle. It’s only good for his journey as a player.”