Captain Sam Tomkins is fit for England’s World Cup opener - thanks, in part, to Blackburn Rovers.
There’d been concerns over the Catalans star’s fitness for the big tournament kick-off against Samoa on October 15. A troublesome knee injury had seen Tomkins play just three of his club’s last seven Super League games. But with England boss Shaun Wane due to name his 24-man squad on Friday - and knowing St Helens duo Jonny Lomax and Mark Percival are OUT - the talismanic full-back insisted: “I’m good.
“I almost had to limp through the end of the season. I had an injury that meant I couldn’t really play back-to-back games. In terms of my playing for England, it was almost a blessing that Catalans got knocked out in the first play-off game. It’s given me a really good window. Now I’m in full training and back to normal.”
And that’s where Championship club Blackburn have come in useful. Ex-Man of Steel Tomkins, 33, said: “England has an amazing medical set-up. I’ve been seeing all the best specialists, used all the best technology and all the latest gadgets to make sure. I went to Blackburn Rovers to do some tests and all the results were really positive. Just having access to things like that has made sure I’m ready.
“If we’d gone further with Catalans, it would’ve been more awkward for England. It was an injury that needed rest, so had we gone a further two weeks, I’d have been a further two weeks behind at this point. It’s given me more than enough time to be fully fit for Samoa.”
That must be reassuring news for Wane who has suffered a big loss with news tonight that stand-off Lomax, set to be England's main playmaker, and centre Percival have both succumbed to long-standing injuries. Having already seen leading prop Alex Walmsley ruled out as well as Leeds centre Harry Newman and probably Wigan second-row Liam Farrell, the national side must go into battle without some of their key men.
It is little wonder Wane is waiting longer than most national bosses to publicly reveal his squad. But it is understood one name who has made the cut is Herbie Farnworth as England set out to emulate the 1972 Great Britain side, the last team from these shores to win the World Cup.
The uncapped Brisbane Broncos centre - who was on the books of Manchester United as a kid and hasn’t played since suffering a biceps injury in June - will get the nod. Salford scrum-half Marc Sneyd - with Lomax's absence - and hooker Andy Ackers are also in line for potential first caps after excellent Super League campaigns while Red Devils team-mate Kallum Watkins is another booked in to feature.
England’s sole warm-up game is against Fiji at Salford next Friday. Tomkins is not sure yet he will play in that. But he he is confident in their strength in depth and added: “There’s going to be some players who don’t make the World Cup squad that are top, top quality. We’ve got no excuses; the pressure’s on the players now. We’ve got to deliver.”
