
James Roby has backed both Daryl Clark and Josh Hodgson to step up to the mark for England in the Four Nations – and is even tipping Steve McNamara’s men to win the entire tournament.
Roby will not take part in the tournament after revealing he could go in for post-season surgery on his ankle, meaning Warrington-bound Clark and Hull KR hooker Hodgson have got the nod from McNamara to go Down Under.
And Roby says that he is hopeful of England actually winning the Four Nations.
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“I’m made up for them; it’ll be fantastic and I really wish them well,” he said. “I want them to do well for England and I think they’re more than capable of that.
“They’re both fantastic players, and hopefully they can just stick to their own game and play well for us.
“I think we’ve got a really good chance of winning the Four Nations. With the squad we’ve got there’s a great mix in there, and if the lads play to their potential they can definitely win it.
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“We’ve been making small strides forward in the last few years, and hopefully we can win the Four Nations and turn a few heads.”
Roby has also insisted he is not set to walk away from international Rugby League, and says he has the full support of England coach McNamara to rest up ahead of another busy year in 2015.
“I’ve explained everything to Steve and he fully understands it. I’m not retiring, I’m just missing this year.
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“I had both ankles operated on last year and I’ve just been getting a little bit of aggro. Obviously I’ve been doing enough to get through the season no problem, but the time is right to get them sorted.
“We’ll sit down with the specialist and decide one way or the other. It’s not 100 per cent definite that I’m having surgery yet, but that’s an option.”