England squad winners and losers: Hull KR star a ‘major gamble’ as ‘most unfortunate’ star misses cut
Shaun Wane has made some big calls in his England squad for the Ashes.
England coach Shaun Wane has revealed his 24-man squad for this autumn’s Ashes and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it has seriously split opinion in a number of areas.
The group Wane has entrusted to deliver a first Ashes series win since 1970 includes some bold calls, and some big players have also been left out following disappointing seasons.
Here are the big winners and losers in our eyes..
Winners
AJ Brimson
Wane has insisted repeatedly that for you to be an Australian-born player and get in the England mix, you have to be 100 per cent all in and fully convince him. It looks like Brimson has followed in the footsteps of Victor Radley and done exactly that.
In terms of talent and ability, it is a complete no-brainer of a pick. Brimson will be in direct competition with Jack Welsby for the fullback shirt and he also offers immense versatility across the field.
But we weren’t quite sure if we’d see the Gold Coast superstar due to his Australian roots. It’s a big call, and one Wane will hope pays off given the talent that has missed out.
Mikolaj Oledzki
Perhaps the most surprising pick – or at least one of them. Oledzki’s form has been decent enough this year but you’d argue not quite as eye-catching as it has been at other stages during his career.
With Luke Thompson – more on him later – among those missing out, it is a huge opportunity for the Leeds Rhinos forward to force his way into the thinking long-term.
Joe Burgess
It’s a major gamble, especially with Wigan’s Liam Marshall left out altogether, but one you can totally understand. Burgess hasn’t represented England in TEN years, going all the way back to his sole series in 2015 under Steve McNamara.
But you cannot dispute his recall given the way he’s not only performed this season, but in the biggest games. Wane insisted in the aftermath of Saturday’s Grand Final that some people changed his mind in that game – you would expect Burgess was one of them with the way he acquitted himself at Old Trafford.
He has to be considered a possible starter at Wembley next Saturday.
Losers
Jake Connor
There is, really, nowhere else to start in this particular topic.
It was perhaps to be expected given the hints Wane has dropped on Connor’s potential to crack into his squad, and the fact he was left out of the extended train-on squad earlier this year. But it’s undoubtedly a massive call to leave the winner of the Man of Steel award out of the squad altogether.
Elliot Minchella
One player who can definitely consider himself unlucky and was name-checked by Wane on Monday afternoon was Hull KR captain Elliot Minchella, who has been in England squads of late but missed out this time.
It sounds as if Minchella was on the brink of being named but was unfortunate to miss the cut. He will be back stronger in 2026 though, and you would imagine will be a strong contender for the World Cup next year.
Junior Nsemba
Nsemba burst onto the scene last year in some style, so much so that he was involved in the England squad that defeated Samoa. But this year, he has not made the squad.
His form has dipped compared to 2024 but there was still a good chance the Wigan Warriors star would have been included. However, he’ll have to respond in 2026 and hopefully catch Wane’s eye for the World Cup, having missed out this time around.
Luke Thompson
The most surprising omission has to be Wigan Warriors forward Luke Thompson, whose form in 2025 has been strong but ultimately not good enough to make the cut for the series.
Wane hinted on Monday that Thompson’s form in the latter part of 2025 has ultimately been decisive, as the forward will have to watch the series from home. It stands to reason that Oledzki is perhaps the man who has made the cut at his expense, with the other props in the squad certainly likely to be guaranteed picks.
