England boss Shaun Wane says St Helens had the final say on Jonny Lomax pulling out of the World Cup and the player is “devastated.”
Stand-off Lomax, 32, missed out on the 24-man squad due to the ruptured bicep he’s being playing with since April. England hoped he’d be able to push on for a few more weeks but their main playmaker has been ruled out along with club-mate Mark Percival (knee). Asked if it boiled down to Lomax in the end, Wane said: “No, it’s Saints.
“It’s Saints’ medical staff and Jonny where he thinks he’s at. I trust him. I believe him in what he’s saying: he couldn’t do another eight, nine weeks and if he says that I’m never going to try and persuade a player.”
Key man Lomax, who was man of the match as Saints beat Leeds in Saturday's Grand Final, is one of a handful absent due to injuries. Wane said: “There's been some emotional calls. Jonny was very, very emotional. And so was Liam Farrell. And so was Harry Newman. Mark Percival was the worst.
“I need our players who have been picked to understand what those guys would give to play in this tournament and how lucky they are to be in the. I’ve got four players there who are devastated that they’re not in; it could be Jonny’s last World Cup and he can’t play in it. It’s really sad but just one of those things.”
Wane is on crutches himself after a knee operation but will be fit to start England’s camp next week. He added: “When I was Wigan coach, we had a mindset the international game had to be strong so I always released my players for training and games. Clubs have been really, really good - most of them - and IMG are very, very keen on making sure the international game is strong moving forward.”
