JAKE CONNOR has reiterated his desire to play for England, despite being snubbed by head coach Shaun Wane for the recent three-match Test Series against Tonga.
Connor has regularly divided opinion amongst the rugby league fraternity in recent seasons with his off-the-cuff style of play and get-under-the-skin attitude often grabbing the headlines.
In recent years, the 29-year-old has been capped five times by England, but form and injury meant that Connor wasn’t even considered by Wane in the recent Tonga head-to-head.
The Huddersfield Giants man does, however, still want to turn out for his nation.
“Every young English lad wants to play for England. It’s obviously a cliche, but you have to do what’s right for your club first to get those opportunities,” Connor told League Express.
“The kind of year I had last year, there were no excuses, but I wasn’t in the right shape and I wasn’t playing great. I needed a pre-season to get back to my best and it’s going good so far.”
It is commonplace for the national head coach to keep in contact with potential England players throughout the season but Connor’s simple response to being asked if Wane had phoned him was: “Shaun Wane didn’t contact me.”
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