Shenton has been included after Castleford's play-off elimination

Castleford's Michael Shenton has been added to England's train-on squad for the end-of-season internationals.

The 23-year-old is the only player added to Tony Smith's squad from the clubs knocked out of the play-offs at the weekend, Castleford and Wakefield.

Cas's Joe Westerman misses out after a disappointing domestic season while Wakefield's Ryan Atkins is injured.

Wildcats scrum-half Danny Brough, who has changed allegiance from Scotland, is also left out.

Shenton, who has two caps, will now team up with 14 players previously selected in preparation for the international against Wales on 17 October and the Four Nations series involving France, Australia and New Zealand in October and November.

606: DEBATE So no Westerman and will Brough now go crying back to Scotland? j7viking4life

More players will be added throughout the Super League play-offs before the final 24-man squad is named on Monday 12 October, two days after the Grand Final at Old Trafford.

Salford half-back Stefan Ratchford was a surprise inclusion in the first batch of players selected from the teams who failed to make the play-offs.

Also included in that squad was his Warrington-bound team-mate Richie Myler.

Myler scored a record 30 points in England's 66-12 win over France in June but was dropped by club coach Shaun McRae for the last month of the season, with Ratchford filling in for him at scrum-half.

Smith has included four players from his Warrington club while teenage winger Tom Briscoe is one of two representatives from Hull.

The 19-year-old, who was earlier this year named in the England elite training squad, recovered from a broken ankle to play in Hull's last four matches of the season.

The Warrington trio of Adrian Morley, Mickey Higham and Ben Westwood, Bradford centre Paul Sykes and Wests Tigers second rower Gareth Ellis are survivors from the World Cup while Danny Tickle (Hull) and Garreth Carvell (Warrington) are uncapped.

Train-on squad (23 September): Sam Burgess, Paul Sykes (both Bradford), Tom Briscoe, Danny Tickle (both Hull), Mickey Higham, Garreth Carvell, Adrian Morley, Ben Westwood (all Warrington), Tony Clubb, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook (both Harlequins), Stefan Ratchford, Richie Myler (both Salford), Gareth Ellis (Wests Tigers), Michael Shenton (Castleford).

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version