Mikey Lewis has been left out of England’s Rugby League World Cup opening match against Tonga by head coach Brian McDermott, while Jack Welsby has only made the bench.

Hull KR’s Lewis, who edged 2025 Super League Man of Steel Jake Connor for a place in England’s squad, has been named among the three reserves alongside Ben Currie and Ben Talty, leaving him set to miss out on selection.

Jack Welsby had been widely tipped to start at full-back, but head coach Brad McDermott has instead opted for Gold Coast Titans star AJ Brimson.

Wigan winger Zach Eckersley is set to make his international debut after being selected ahead of Matty Ashton, while fellow Warriors team-mate Sam Walters is also named to start.

NRL Premiership winner Victor Radley returns to the England side for the first time since the 2024 series victory over Samoa, while his Sydney Roosters team-mate Hugo Savala is in line to earn his first international cap.

Canterbury Bulldogs prop Max King is also set to make his first start for England following another impressive season in Australia.

Super League Grand Finalist George Williams, who is set to join the Dolphins, will captain the side and partner Harry Smith in the halves.

Brad O’Neill also returns to the England team after earning his only cap in the 2024 mid-season international against France.

England men: AJ Brimson, Dom Young, Hugo Savala, Herbie Farnworth, Zach Eckersley, George Williams, Harry Smith, Max King, Brad O’Neill, Morgan Knowles, Junior Nsemba, Kai Pearce-Paul, Victor Radley.

Interchange: Jez Litten, Luke Thompson, Ethan Havard, Sam Walters, Jack Welsby, Matty Ashton.

Strange and Boyd set for international debuts

England Women’s head coach Stu Barrow has named his squad for Saturday’s World Cup opener against Wales in Perth, with kick-off scheduled for 7.35am (BST).

Jasmin Strange, Connie Boyd and Hope Millard are all in line to make their senior international debuts.

Strange joins the squad after featuring in her fourth consecutive NRLW Grand Final and has already won premierships with both the Newcastle Knights and Sydney Roosters.

Reigning Woman of Steel Jenna Foubister has been named on the interchange bench and is set to make her World Cup debut. The 19-year-old Wigan Warriors half-back has scored in each of her first two senior internationals and registered nine tries in 18 appearances across all competitions in 2026.

Fran Goldthorp returns to the England side for the first time since the 2022 World Cup, where she scored three tries in four appearances. The full-back is one of three NRLW-based players selected, alongside Newcastle Knights half-back Georgia Roche and Canberra Raiders forward Hollie-Mae Dodd.

Amelia Brown is also in line to make her first England appearance since scoring a hat-trick on debut against Wales at AMT Headingley in November 2024, while Jodie Cunningham is set to captain England at her fourth World Cup.

England Women: Fran Goldthorp, Anna Davies, Georgia Wilson, Connie Boyd, Amelia Brown, Isabel Rowe, Georgia Roche, Mary Coleman, Keara Bennett, Hollie-Mae Dodd, Jasmin Strange, Eva Hunter, Megan Williams.

Interchange: Jodie Cunningham, Vicky Whitfield, Jenna Foubister, Hope Millard.

Wales Women: Leanne Burnell, Dani McGifford, Hannah Bluck, Zoe Heeley, Frances Layton, Ffion Lewis, Tayla Preston, Agnes Wood, Jasmine Gibbons, Emily Hughes, Georgia Cussons, Paige Travis, Bethan Dainton.

Interchange: Carys Marsh, Kathryn Salter, Katie Carr, Erin Williams.

When the club announced his new contract, they also confirmed new deals for Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz, Willian Pacho, Lucas Beraldo and Senny Mayulu, sending a clear message to the dressing room that this is still a long-term project.

There has been remarkably little change in the technical staff since Luis Enrique arrived at PSG in 2023.

Assistant Joaquin Valdes has been alongside Luis Enrique since their Barcelona B days, and he is the one who talks to the players on a personal level.

He also helps keep his boss grounded when Luis Enrique’s mind drifts too far away, and you can see him in the background in every news conference.

Rafel Pol, who handles strategy and acts as second in command, is another constant presence.

Very little of the way they train on and off the pitch has altered during Luis Enrique’s three years at the club.

The players aren’t shown a huge amount of videos, but there is a big screen on the training pitch to correct players and two cranes for the coaches to see everything from a height.

The one real change though is in the luxury of depth – a factor that proved key last campaign.

Luis Enrique can now regularly leave out a couple of key players from his squad and the team does not suffer.

Ousmane Dembele was not in the squad for the win against Le Mans on Saturday, and earlier in the season it was Lucas Digne who was left out. Against the bigger opponents, such as Manchester City and Barcelona, the starters arrive rested.

Against Le Mans, he used eight players that would not start the bigger matches, and, with the match level, he brought on four of his ‘stars’ to ensure the win.

His attack has been renewed after Gonzalo Ramos, Bradley Barcola and Lee Kang-in all departed.

Dani Gil, Paris correspondent for the Spanish radio station COPE, explains: “Barcola could not be given the minutes he wanted, they had won everything and been paid well for it, and the club could do with players who were hungrier.

“Mika Godts and Ferran Torres fit that description. Neither has yet won at club level what the departed players won.”

Barcola was not rated by the coaches as someone who could reach the level Dembele sets, yet his flashes of brilliance were enough to convince Liverpool to pay £123m for him.

Summer signing Torres is the more intriguing case. He went through a difficult stretch psychologically, worked on his mental strength and now calls himself ‘the Shark’.

He was unhappy at Barcelona when he was not playing regularly, even though last season produced his best numbers.

Now, having netted the winner for Spain in the World Cup final, he has scored seven goals in France. For the first time in his career he feels really wanted.

He also knows what kind of team he has joined. In a Luis Enrique side the star is Luis Enrique, and the forward is content with that.

The Sky Sports Racing cameras head to Southwell, Hereford and Wolverhampton on Tuesday, with every race LIVE from 1.45pm.

6.00 Wolverhampton – Bella Angelina and Soft Landing clash

Unexposed duo Bella Angelina and Soft Landing clash in the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Novice Stakes.

The Harry Charlton-trained Juddmonte filly Bella Angelina has run to a fair level on both of her starts thus far. She ran behind two promising three-year-olds to finish third at Doncaster on debut, before being edged out by the progressive Wootton Bassett filly Wid, after travelling strongly into the race without the hood. Related to promising two-year-old, Sierra Belle, she holds a great chance of progressing and breaking her maiden tag with the aid of a wind operation.

Her main danger could be in the form of Saeed bin Suroor trained Soft Landing, who is coming off the back of a very encouraging debut where she tired late to finish second after looking sure to have the race won. Bin Suroor tends to have his horses ready to go but at least a small bit of improvement can be expected given the way she shaped on her last start.

Missmisfortune reopposes Soft Landing here and has run to a fair standard in two starts but was well beaten with the advantage of experience at Wolverhampton.

Perhaps Mr Keble is the most intriguing of the rest, making his first start for Oli Rix having been transferred from the Gosden yard. He was hampered in the final furlong when fifth at Kempton in September and so was better than the bare result, with the subsequent St James’s Palace fifth ahead of him. He can run respectably if fit after over a year off the track.

Blue Point Gold is the only runner making their debut and contains an interesting pedigree, being a half-brother to the once potentially-useful Movie Maker.

2.35 Southwell – Cheesy Icon makes chasing debut

Progressive hurdler Cheesy Icon makes his chasing debut in the HEB Group “The Power Behind Everyday” Novices’ Handicap Chase.

Cheesy Icon could not quite get off the mark over hurdles, but was steadily progressive and an opening mark of 116 over fences does seem fair. However, he does not seem like the obvious type to take a massive step forward for going over a fence and is very much a free going type who has been hard to settle. As such, the forecasted weak pace could therefore put him at a disadvantage.

The Ben Pauling-trained Four Springs is the most unexposed in the field and began his career very promisingly, mixing with horses that have since featured in top-end handicaps and graded races – most notably Sinnatra. However, he ran as if something was amiss when pulled up in the EBF Handicap Hurdle at Sandown when last seen, and will need to put that performance behind him. This lad seems a chasing type and there could be a lot more to come over fences with his opening mark of 118 not beyond him.

Marche D’Aligre is prone to a mistake or two so it cannot be certain whether he will take to fences for the first time, whilst Jamada has been progressive over hurdles for Olly Murphy. Lady Kara should run well, given she is the only one in the field to have proven consistency over fences.

3.30 Hereford – Krak and Donnie Azoff head field

Krak and Donnie Azoff feature in a trappy Betting.Bet Free Bets Handicap Hurdle.

Krak gradually improved over fences over four starts since moving to Dan Skelton, while dropping down to a fairer handicap mark. He returns to hurdles here, where he has shown his best form and only career success to date. He can prove competitive off a mark of 120 with Charlie Todd taking the ride.

At the age of 10, Donnie Azoff has been in the form of his life, maintaining incredible consistency to only finish outside of the top three on three occasions in his last 11 starts. The two and a half miles should suit here, given he seemed outpaced in his last two starts. His last win in June came when running on late under a perfectly timed ride from Isabelle Ryder.

Sixty Plus is an interesting contender for the dual purpose trainer James Owen, as he is back to just a pound above his last winning mark. Moreover, he has fallen nine pounds in the handicap since his last win over obstacles. He can go well after a fruitful flat campaign, which included a quick-fire hat-trick.

Son Of Hypnos won well on his penultimate start when getting free on the front, before doing too much at the head of affairs last time. The forecasted strong pace may not see him to best effect, while Jaramillo got back to form last time out, although he is not the most reliable type.

Best of the rest

2.20 Hereford – Last-time-out winners Jackstell and No More Bolero clash

2.00 Southwell – Limerick Leader bids for four from his last five in cagey contest

3.10 Southwell – Competitive 0-115 handicap chase

3.45 Southwell – Promising bumper horse Masterius aims to get off the mark at the third attempt

4.20 Southwell – Eye-catching Skelton bumper mare Delulu takes on last-time-out winner L’Amandine

6.30 Wolverhampton – Two-year-olds Al Widyan and Muhandes clash in a bid to break their maiden tags

7.00 Wolverhampton – The progressive Zachary Hickes seeks to get back to winning ways