Nsemba & Marshall in England squad for Samoa Tests
Junior Nsemba and Liam Marshall helped Wigan complete a 2024 clean sweep of trophies as they beat Hull KR to win the Grand Final on Saturday
- Published
Uncapped Wigan pair Junior Nsemba and Liam Marshall have made England's final 24-man squad for the two-match Test series against Samoa.
Both players are included after helping Wigan complete a quadruple by winning the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford last Saturday.
Second-row forward Nsemba is selected a week after he was named Super League Young Player of the Year. The 20-year-old is the nephew of former Liverpool and Cameroon footballer Rigobert Song.
Winger Marshall, 28, was the leading try scorer in Super League this season.
Both were in the 31-man training squad announced by England head coach Shaun Wane in September.
Jake Wardle has withdrawn from the squad because of injury; the other six players cut from the initial training squad are his Wigan team-mate Tyler Dupree, Warrington's James Harrison, Catalans Dragons' Tom Johnstone, Hull KR pair Jez Litten and Elliot Minchella, and Leigh's Robbie Mulhern.
England play Samoa at Wigan's Brick Community Stadium on Sunday, 27 October and at AMT Headingley in Leeds on Saturday, 2 November (both 14:30 GMT), with the BBC televising both matches live in the UK.
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England squad: Matty Ashton (Warrington Wolves), John Bateman (Warrington Wolves), Tom Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Daryl Clark (St Helens), Ben Currie (Warrington Wolves), Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins), Ethan Havard (Wigan Warriors), Chris Hill (Huddersfield Giants), Morgan Knowles (St Helens), Matty Lees (St Helens), Mikey Lewis (Hull KR), Liam Marshall (Wigan Warriors), Mike McMeeken (Catalans Dragons), Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos), Junior Nsemba (Wigan Warriors), Kai Pearce-Paul (Newcastle Knights), Victor Radley (Sydney Roosters), Harry Smith (Wigan Warriors), Morgan Smithies (Canberra Raiders), Luke Thompson (Wigan Warriors), Danny Walker (Warrington Wolves), Jack Welsby (St Helens), George Williams (Warrington Wolves), Dom Young (Sydney Rabbitohs).
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Dom Young is one of six NRL players named in the final squad, alongside his Sydney Roosters team-mate Victor Radley.
Winger Young burst on to the international scene at the start of the last Rugby League World Cup two years ago, scoring two debut tries in a 60-6 group-stage win over Samoa.
But he has not played for his country since that World Cup, sitting out the summer Tests of 2023 and 2024 because of club commitments, and missing last autumn's series win over Tonga because of a sinus infection that spread to his brain.
Young spent time in hospital but made a full recovery from the infection.
Burnley-born Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth, a former Manchester United academy footballer, is also among the NRL contingent in the squad, as are South Sydney Rabbitohs' Tom Burgess, Newcastle Knights' Kai Pearce-Paul and Canberra Raiders' Morgan Smithies.
Like Young, they sat out June's 40-8 mid-season victory over France in Toulouse because of club commitments.
Wane said: "All of the players have been picked based on their form over the last 12 months, whether that be in the Betfred Super League or down under in the NRL and I'm confident heading into next week's opener in Wigan."
Tuivasa-Sheck and Nanai set for Samoa debuts
Samoa's squad is much changed from the one that beat England 27-26 in golden-point extra time to reach the World Cup final two years ago.
Captain Jarome Luai is one of four survivors from that squad, which includes incoming Leeds Rhinos forward Keenan Palasia, plus Leigh pair John Asiata and Ricky Leutele.
Former New Zealand dual-code international Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will make his debut for Samoa, as will forward Jeremiah Nanai, who previously represented Australia.
Stephen Crichton, whose drop-goal condemned England to defeat in that semi-final at Emirates Stadium two years ago, is one of a number of Samoa players to miss the tour.
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Samoa squad: Anthony Milford (Dolphins), Blaize Talagi (Parramatta Eels), Deine Mariner (Brisbane Broncos), Francis Molo (St George Illawarra Dragons), Gordon Chan Kum Tong (Manly Sea Eagles), Izack Tago (Penrith Panthers), Jake Tago (Parramatta Eels), Jarome Luai (Penrith Panthers), Jazz Tevaga (New Zealand Warriors), Jeral Skelton (Canterbury Bulldogs), Jeremiah Nanai (North Queensland Cowboys), John Asiata (Leigh Leopards), Josiah Pahulu (Gold Coast Titans), Junior Pauga (Sydney Roosters), Keenan Palasia (Gold Coast Titans), Lazarus Vaalepu (Melbourne Storm), Luciano Leilua (St George Illawarra Dragons), Paul Roache (New Zealand Warriors), Ricky Leutele (Leigh Leopards), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (New Zealand Warriors), Shawn Blore (Melbourne Storm), Simi Sasagi (Canberra Raiders), Terrell May (Sydney Roosters).