Great Britain Lions: Lachlan Coote, Morgan Knowles and Joe Philbin in elite performance squad
- Published
Lachlan Coote, Joe Philbin and Morgan Knowles all represented home nations in international RL
Ireland's Joe Philbin, Scotland's Lachlan Coote and Wales' Morgan Knowles have been named in the Great Britain Elite Performance squad.
England Knights winger Ash Handley and uncapped Salford forward Josh Jones have also been included.
Coach Wayne Bennett selected 29 from the home nations-qualified players across 12 Super League clubs.
The squad will be reduced to 25, and also include Australia-based players, ahead of the Lions tour next month.
Twenty of the players selected have been drafted in from the England EPS, which has run in tandem with GB throughout the 2019 season.
Great Britain have four autumn Tests coming up, which will all be screened live by BBC Sport, with extended highlights shown later each day.
Test dates
Tonga v Great Britain (Hamilton, NZ) - Saturday, 26 October
New Zealand v Great Britain (Auckland, NZ) - Saturday, 2 November
New Zealand v Great Britain (Christchurch, NZ) - Saturday, 9 November
Papua New Guinea v Great Britain (Port Moresby, PNG) - Saturday, 16 November
St Helens full-back Coote, 29, played for Steve McCormack's Scotland side while with North Queensland Cowboys and he and Knowles, 22, have been key figures in the club's impressive Super League campaign.
Warrington's Challenge Cup-winning back-rower Philbin, 24, was a Wembley try-scorer and has been a regular for Steve Price's side.
Only two players remain from the Great Britain squad which last featured in 2007, Wigan captain Sean O'Loughlin and his St Helens counterpart James Roby.
"As we've said since the return of the Great Britain team was announced at the start of the year, we have considered everyone who is eligible and puts themselves forward," Bennett said.
"As well as this Performance Squad of players based in England and France, we've got another group of players based in the NRL to consider - and there's still time for others who are eligible to impress and force their way in."
GB Rugby League Elite Performance Squad
Jake Trueman, Liam Watts (Castleford Tigers), Sam Tomkins (Catalans Dragons), Jermaine McGillvary (Huddersfield Giants), Jake Connor, Jamie Shaul, Scott Taylor (Hull FC), Ash Handley, Stevie Ward (Leeds Rhinos), Jonny Lomax, Tommy Makinson, Mark Percival, James Roby, Luke Thompson, Alex Walmsley, Morgan Knowles, Lachlan Coote (St Helens), Josh Jones (Salford Red Devils), Reece Lyne (Wakefield Trinity), Blake Austin, Josh Charnley, Daryl Clark, Chris Hill, Jack Hughes, Joe Philbin, Stefan Ratchford (Warrington Wolves), Oliver Gildart, Sean O'Loughlin, George Williams (Wigan Warriors)