Great Britain Lions: Omissions show strength of squad

Our partners use cookies to supply you with the very best online experience, such as to content and advertising. Information on the advertisements and your discussion with this website could be shared with all businesses involved in the delivery or personalisation of ads on this site and everywhere online.
Please let us know if you agree.
By Dave Woods
BBC soccer league correspondent
The players can judge this Great Britain Lions squads strength.
Missing from the 23 guys chosen for the forthcoming Tests against Tonga, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea are the current Golden Boot world player of the year, five of people who started in that epic World Cup final against Australia just two years back and among the best players of his creation.
Fit and in Kallum Watkins, Tommy Makinson, Sam Burgess, James Roby, form, Ben Currie, Luke Gale and Sean OLoughlin would be a shoe-in for choice.
The fact that without this squad has celebrity quality is a reflection of the expanding depth available to Wayne Bennett – especially in the package and the pivots.
Therell be much discussion about the three Australians chosen – Blake Austin Lachlan Coote along with Jackson Hastings. However, all three concur, all three are all committed and all three are players.
And that is all that matters.
Look to the rugby union World Cup along with the current cricket World Cup for examples of non-natives becoming heroes in their homes.
They will come up from a Tongan side, very few of whom have been born in Tonga – but try telling that to the masses from red who will fill the racks.
The three-quarter line is an issue given that the party includes only two wingers at Jermaine McGillvary along with Ryan Hall, however thats the way Bennett went to get the World Cup and it also worked.
Though Zak Hardaker and Jon Bateman are one of those who may fill in and just 1 specialist in a single semi-regular and Oliver Gildart covers the two areas in that place in Jake Connor.
It will be fascinating to find out who gets the nod and at the halves.
You can make a solid case for just about any Gareth Widdop, Coote, Hardaker or even Johnny Lomax to be given the number one jersey.
And, depending on this selection, what will be the first-choice halves pairing out of Widdop, Lomax, Austin, George Williams and Hastings – with youthful Jake Trueman offering the following variation?
So when was the last time a England or GB squad contained six – seven if you add Connor to this mixture?
The package looks great as it did when the likes of Adrian Morley, Jamie Peacock and Stuart Fielden were running around making havoc. Thats part of the field that Britain keeps on producing.
A potential starting of James Graham Luke and Hodgson Thompson – with their capabilities – supported by Tom Burgess, Chris Hill and Alex Walmsley along with also the dynamic dummy-half Daryl Clark off the bench is mouth-watering.
A Mixture of Elliot Whitehead John Bateman, Jack Hughes and both Super League bolters Joe Philbin and Josh Jones is enjoyable too.
This will be a hard tour. Tonga, together with the wheels back and celebrity names back in the fold, will provide a physically and emotionally draining first Test.
The Kiwis, together with trainer Michael McGuire having had time to apply his influence, will be looking for revenge over the hemisphere after last years series defeat in England in the two tests in Auckland and Christchurch.
And theres a step into the unknown for many of the players once they journey to Papua New Guinea for its game in warmth and humidity of Port Moresby.
But we have every right to feel excited about GBs chances.
The Blue and Red chevron may be back with a bang.
26 October: Tonga v GB RL Lions (on air 07:30 on BBC 2, highlights on BBC One 13:15-14:30)
2 November: New Zealand v GB RL Lions (on atmosphere 03:30 on BBC One, highlights on BBC One 13:15-14:30)
9 November: New Zealand v GB RL Lions (on air 06:30 on BBC Two, highlights on BBC One 13:15-14:30)
16 November: PNG v GB RL Lions (on air 07:00 on BBC Two, highlights TBC)
The Americas with Simon Reeve
Analysis and comment by the soccer league correspondent of the BBC.
Get headlines and latest scores delivered straight to your phoneto our newsletter and learn where to find us on online.
Analysis enjoy the debate and interviews with BBC 5 live and World Service plus our comment listings.
How to get into football league – a crowd-pleasing, physically rough sport with several stoppages and lots of speed.