It seems he's been around for ages, but he's only 25. And he's got a lot of fans, as the following views are anything to go by:

He is undoubtedly the bravest full-back in the league, his positioning and handling are second to none, and he is always available to take the ball forward and when a break occurs he is first player to support.
Mike Gibson

He has all the qualities of a top-class full-back, not least bags of courage and pace to burn.
Tony Holmes

Shaun is a naturally talented full-back who is exceptional under the high ball and very good positionally. Defensively, he has been sound for Hull KR this season. If he can't break into the England side on this form, he never will.
Craig Shepherd

Now find out what our man thought when he went to see Shaun in action against Warrington at the Halliwell Jones Stadium...

By George Riley

Whenever Shaun Briscoe has a bad dream, you'd imagine Paul Wellens is in it.

For if Wellens simply didn't exist, then Briscoe may well already have achieved his career ambition.

"Shaun is doing a great job and has a huge desire to play Test rugby league," his coach Justin Morgan told me in the corridors of the Halliwell Jones Stadium following Hull KR's 38-20 defeat at Warrington.

"He's got a fair challenge as the current full-back Wellens is a top-line player, but if he is behind him at the moment then I don't think he is too far behind. He's certainly putting pressure on Wellens and that's great for Tony Smith and the England team."

Morgan was chatting to me after watching his side outclassed after half-time by a resurgent Wolves side under the stewardship of James Lowes - now in charge for at least the rest of the season.

Tony Smith has two top quality full-backs to choose from for the World Cup... if it was up to me I'd go with Briscoe Justin Morgan

"We were in the game at half-time, but the second half was poor, although Shaun shone," said Morgan. "Some of the play from some of our players was inexcusable."

Briscoe's enthusiasm is infectious. I arrived at the Halliwell Jones two hours before kick-off and, as the Hull KR players sat chatting on the seats nearby me, he looked like a coiled spring.

I got the impression he wanted to kick off straight away, such is his passion for a game in which he first rose to prominence as a teenager in the Wigan Warriors academy.

Briscoe got his Super League chance in 2002, the 19-year-old seizing his opportunity after injury laid low the club's talisman, Kris Radlinski. Wigan fans will tell you that for those three months Shaun didn't look out of place.

I remember speaking to him during that debut season, and he told me it would break his heart if he ever had to leave his hometown club.

But a combination of Wigan's salary cap issues and Briscoe's own fierce determination to develop at the top level saw him move to Hull FC for the following season.

"I didn't want to leave at all," said Briscoe. "They said it was because of the salary cap, but it's turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me."

Briscoe has pace

"Tony Smith has two top quality full-backs to choose from for the World Cup," said Morgan. "If it was up to me I'd go with Briscoe, but I'm a little bit biased as I see him every week.

"He's been very good for us. The World Cup is a huge goal for him. He knows it is his next step as a player and he has set it as his target this season."

That Briscoe managed to shine at Warrington in a game which saw his side played off the park after half-time shows just what he brings to the party. At fault for none of the Wolves seven tries, Briscoe buzzed around the field.

An opportunist try on the half hour demonstrated his elusive attacking threat and eye for a try, squeezing in down the right corner after Lee Briers had kicked out on the full.

For both Wigan and Hull, Briscoe had featured at full-back, centre and on the wing, and that experience has given a huge amount to his offensive potency from full-back.

Yet it is his reading of the defensive game that makes him arguably the best-placed understudy to Wellens.

Ruthlessly exposed on 65 minutes, Briscoe was left isolated as Warrington broke for a certain score. But his positioning was Wellensesque, managing to both force the pass and crucially put a finger on it to deny a try.

Five minutes later, Martin Gleeson broke for the line and was absolutely clobbered by Briscoe - the kind of tackle from which you get up expecting to find a monster prop forward towering over you rather than a lanky, fair-haired full-back.

I think Briscoe's a good player but I have 17 good players myself that I could rave on about James Lowes

And with most of his team-mates out on their feet with the hooter having already sounded, Briscoe was up on the Wolves try-line to flick a magic pass out of the backdoor for livewire winger Peter Fox to score a Rovers consolation.

After a troublesome few years with injury and illness - Briscoe's Challenge Cup dream in 2005 was ended the day before the Millennium Stadium showpiece when he was rushed to a Cardiff hospital to have his appendix out - he's now playing the best rugby league of his life.

When Hull upset Leeds to win the Cup that day, Briscoe asked the nurse if he could join their victory party. No way, she said. So his dad smuggled him out of the back and into a taxi and off they went to celebrate with the team.

It is that hunger that has taken Briscoe so far in the game.

And what of his other rivals for a World Cup spot? Well, Richie Mathers is in and out of the Wigan team and would not expect to be included, while Stuart Reardon's long-term injury means his chance of adding to his Tri Nations caps with Great Britain are gone.

So now it's Briscoe's chance.

"At the moment I don't think he would look at all out of place in an England shirt," said Morgan as we walked back to the dressing room.

"He's just a little unlucky in that Paul Wellens is one of the best full-backs to have ever played the game."

He's also tough in the tackle

"I think Briscoe's a good player but I have 17 good players myself that I could rave on about," Lowes told me, a little miffed that I wanted to talk about Briscoe.

"You talk about World Cups, George, and I'll ask you if there's a better front rower in the game at the moment than Adrian Morley?

"Yeah, Briscoe is a good player, mate, there's no doubt about that, but I've got 17 players performing at the top of their game and I'd rather shout about their chances."

The trademark Lowes temper perhaps simmering again? He didn't like that question too much. In truth, had Kevin Penny been fit there's every chance I'd have been scouting him, too.

But Briscoe's buzzing this season. There's no way he'll start for England unless something happens to Wellens, so his place on the plane may depend on how Tony Smith sees the make up of his squad.

But if he's going for out and out full-backs, then expect Briscoe to be slapping on the factor 30 and heading Down Under.